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RGB mini-LED (and its other various names) continues to be the talk of the TV world, with nearly every brand getting involved with the new tech in 2026. I’ve tested several RGB mini-LED/Micro RGB TVs and while it’s been a mixed bag, the new tech shows promise. While these TVs still can’t quite beat the best OLED TVs for the place at the top of the TV food chain, there’s certainly been some impressive RGB models.

One of those is the flagship Samsung R95H, which earned 4.5 stars out of 5 in my recent review. Another is the ‘mid-range’ Sony Bravia 7 II. When I compared both the R95H and Bravia 7 II, I was impressed by the fight the much cheaper Bravia 7 II put up: especially with its picture quality.

Well, now the Bravia 9 II, the Bravia 7 II’s step-up sibling and Sony’s flagship RGB TV, has arrived in our testing lab and since I still have the Samsung R95H in, I thought I’d compare the two to see which flagship RGB model is the top dog.

A quick note on photos: the R95H appears to have a red tint in some images below, but this is the camera interacting with the R95H's matte screen. This red tint does not appear in-person.

Color

Both TVs deliver vibrant colors, shown here in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. The Bravia 9 II (left) has more vibrant colors, while the R95H (right) has brighter colors (Image credit: Nintendo / Univeral Pictures / Future )

The big selling point of RGB is its color reproduction. And as expected from two flagship models, colors look very impressive on both the Bravia 9 II and the R95H. Watching The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, any scenes involving the Lumas showcases RGB’s excellent colors. While the R95H demonstrated higher color luminance, meaning color looked brighter, the Bravia 9 II’s colors appeared much richer and deeper, giving the Lumas themselves a perceived crisper texture.

As for the character’s outfits throughout the movie, it varied from scene-to-scene which TV produced better colors. Peach’s pink dress benefitted from the R95H’s higher perceived brightness in some scenes, while in others, the Bravia 9 II’s bolder colors made it pop more. The same was true with the reds of Mario’s overalls and Luigi and Yoshi’s greens.

In Speed Racer, the Bravia 9 II (left) again has bolder colors, while the R95H's (right) are brighter (Image credit: Warner Bros / Future )

Switching to a real-world movie, Speed Racer, it was more of what I’d found when watching the Mario Galaxy movie. During the breakfast scene at the Racer home, I found some colors, such as yellow, looked better on the Bravia 9 II with the added color depth, while some paler colors such as orange looked more natural on the R95H. The R95H’s higher perceived brightness definitely made colors more impactful, but overall I found myself drawn to the Bravia 9 II’s deeper color profile.

In terms of skin tones, both TVs showed excellent accuracy, making characters on screen look lifelike. In this scenario, I did find the R95H’s brightness made people look more true-to-life, which I preferred. But the Bravia 9 II did use shadows and contrast in an interesting way to make people look dynamic.

Contrast

Both TVs demonstrate strong contrast with a good balance between dark and light tones. (Image credit: Warner Bros / Future )

One of RGB’s other selling points compared to other backlit TVs is better backlight control and OLED-rivaling black levels and while this has been a mixed bag in my previous testing of other RGB TVs, these two flagship models demonstrate excellent contrast and backlight control.

Watching The Batman, both TVs demonstrated strong contrast. As Bruce works in the Batcave at his desk, the light tones of the bright monitors and desk lamps around him contrasted well with the dark tones of the environment and the crevices around the desk. While the R95H’s higher brightness meant some dark areas were more legible, the Bravia 9 II demonstrated richer blacks that created stronger perceived contrast.

Although both TVs were able to render the often challenging picture of The Batman, due to its low brightness, in bright conditions, it was definitely best viewed in ambient or dark, home theater conditions. I also found the R95H’s Movie mode could over-do its brightness, resulting in clipping of bright objects. For The Batman, it was best to use Filmmaker Mode. The Bravia 9 II looked great in Movie mode and Professional mode (its name for Filmmaker Mode), although it lost some of the impact in its contrast when viewed in the dimmer Professional mode.

Both TVs deliver excellent black levels for backlit TVs, but the Bravia 9 II's (left) are deeper Amazon / Future Project Hail Mary is another showcase for contrast on both these TVsAmazon / Future

Switching to Project Hail Mary, both scenes delivered inky black tones during exterior shots of space, as well as demonstrating strong shadows as Ryland Grace explored the Hail Mary. I did find that the Bravia 9 II’s local dimming could be aggressive in places, resulting in some black crush in certain scenes. Still, black tones and contrast were incredibly impressive for a backlit TV, and the lack of blooming showed just how good the Bravia 9 II’s backlight control. Though not as impressive, the R95H also showed brilliant backlight control: much better than most backlit TVs I’ve tested.

While the same movies still had more dynamic contrast on the OLED TVs I’ve tested such as the LG G6 and Samsung S95H/S99H, this is certainly a big step in the right direction for backlit TVs.

Brightness and reflections

Despite large differences in measured brightness, the R95H (right) actually looks brighter in some scenes, such as this desert scene from Lawrence of Arabia (Image credit: Sony Pictures / Future )

Starting with brightness measurements, I was surprised by how big the gap was between these two TVs: and which was brighter based on testing. The R95H hit 1,977 nits and 612 nits peak and fullscreen HDR brightness respectively in Filmmaker Mode, while the Bravia 9 II registered a much higher 4,414 nits and 974 nits peak and fullscreen HDR brightnrss respectively in its Professional mode. This is a much wider gap than I expected, made all the more interesting on how these TVs rendered brightness in practice with real-world movies.

In the majority of scenes I watched, the R95H delivered higher perceived brightness in both large areas and highlights in high-contrast scenes, such as the lights in the Batcave in The Batman, despite its much lower measured brightness.

Watching a real-world bright scene from Lawrence of Arabia, as Lawrence and his guide were fetching water from a well in the desert, the white sand around them was brighter on the R95H than the Bravia 9 II. HDR highlights in other movies, such as the white paint job of the Mach 5 in Speed Racer or the lights of all the consoles and switches of the ship in Project Hail Mary were closer in brightness and would sometimes alternate on which was brighter but for the majority, the R95H was much more impactful.

This is something I've found in the past when measuring TVs: measurements don't always match up in practice, and I'm noticing that RGB TVs tend to have the biggest difference between results and real-world application. Still, both TVs did deliver impressive brightness overall.

While I expected the R95H (right) to handle mirror-like reflections well, I didn't expect the Bravia 9 II (left) to match it FutureBoth TVs can even render very dark scenes from The Batman in bright roomsWarner Bros / Future

One area where both these TVs really impressed me was in their reflection handling. The R95H obviously uses Samsung’s Glare Free matte screen, which has proven to be incredibly effective at eliminating mirror-like reflections. The Bravia 9 II is also equipped with an anti-reflective screen, and it’s a big improvement over the step-down Bravia 7 II. Watching darker scenes, I was surprised at how little mirror-like reflections were on the Bravia 9 II.

Which TV is the best buy?

(Image credit: Future)

Both the Bravia 9 II and R95H are fantastic TVs. They show a clear evolution of what is capable from a backlit TV and while again I still think OLED is the best TV panel tech, it’s a positive sign of what’s to come from RGB if this is how it performs in its infancy.

When it comes to which TV is best out of the two, I personally preferred the Bravia 9 II’s picture, thanks to its richer, OLED-like colors and richer black tones. The R95H has the brightness battle won and delivers amazing pictures in its own right, but for me the Bravia 9 II takes what I loved about the Bravia 7 II and builds on it.

That being said, price is a factor. For a 65-inch Samsung R95H, you’ll be looking to pay roughly $2,799 / £2,799 / AU$4,495 (though I’ve seen the R95H drop to as low as AU$3,499 in Australia). A 65-inch Sony Bravia 9 II will currently set you back $3,499 / £3,499 / AU$5,999. Considering the R95H is actually packed with more features for gaming, such as four HDMI 2.1 ports, and has a better interface, the extra money is a tough ask.

At the moment, the R95H is the better buy, but if the Bravia 9 II’s prices can be more in-line with its rival, then the Bravia 9 II’s picture is worth the sacrifice of some features. That being said, I’d still recommend OLED right now, as you can get flagship OLED’s from both Sony and Samsung that are the same price or cheaper.

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After one week of World of Warcraft: Forever's beta, I have to say, my initial impression is one of cautious optimism. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, but I think Blizzard could, just maybe, be onto something here.

Like many other veteran WoW players, I've been dabbling over the years. A little bit of retail here, a little bit of Seasons of Discovery there. But nothing has quite matched that initial experience from all the way back in 2005 when I first created my Tauren Hunter and stepped into the world of Azeroth.

That's made spending a full week with the closed beta for World of Warcraft: Forever a particularly interesting experience. Like many others, I've gone into it with plenty of nostalgia for the original game, but I'm looking for that little extra to pull me back in for another round.

I'll get into specifics soon, but there are some really positive signs that Blizzard is taking a massive step in the right direction with Forever.

Of course, there are certainly things Blizzard has changed that I'm less convinced by, including one specific issue that I think could cause problems further down the line. But, even in its current state, WoW: Forever is just outright fun for 'Classic Andies' like myself.

The mythical Classic Plus of legend

Perhaps what I like most about WoW: Forever (at least, in its initial state) is that it genuinely feels like the mythical 'Classic Plus' we've speculated about for years. Yes, there are new models. Yes, there are plenty of new abilities and instances, but the core experience that made Classic so compelling appears to be present. I'd argue that Classic is less about art style and more about how the players actually interact with the world.

The starting zones, for example, are subtly refreshed and remixed to add depth and variety, but they don't streamline those initial levels of experience. There are no compromises for convenience here; everyone is footslogging across open fields to kill eight boars. You will be spamming the same spells and abilities over and over in the initial levels as you're being drip-fed abilities.

These subtle instances of friction add a lot of flavour to the experience — and, I would argue, are generally the reason that Classic is the way it is. While I'm certainly a fan of certain aspects of modern WoW, such as the incredible class design and dungeon mechanics, I've always preferred the jankiness and character of Classic. There are so many small little things that add up to make the world feel more alive.

Over the years, Blizzard has smoothed out the wrinkles with additions like the raid-finding tool and flying mounts, and I think, along the way, we've subsequently lost a lot of that character. I'm certainly guilty of nostalgia when I look back at classic WoW, but I do genuinely think that certain additions have reigned in that sense of adventure that we felt back in the day. Even as early as The Burning Crusade, we were diverging from what made WoW so compelling.

An unashamably old school approach

(Image credit: Blizzard)

In its current state, WoW: Forever strips out most of the modern conveniences in favour of an unashamably old school approach. My gut feeling is that Blizzard has got a good balance here.

People will surely have strong opinions on this, but I've been having a blast spontaneously grouping up with players while questing out in the world. Forever has that vibe where you're subtly encouraged to engage with players in your immediate environment. While most of this comes from an adherence to classic quest design, Blizzard has leaned into the experience with additions like the new camping system, which is just a lovely touch that really adds a lot of flavour.

As a brief overview, the camping system lets players passively sit around a player-built campfire to get small buffs. It's cleverly entwined with the new profession changes so that players have more ways to interact aside from simply grouping up. It's a brief respite for players out in the world.

And, since everybody is out there footslogging, the world feels genuinely big and dangerous again. It all adds up to a kind of adventure that I haven't really experienced in WoW since the first Seasons of Discovery phase. The beta feels very similar in that everyone is still working it out, and everyone is eager to explore the world. Some of that is surely 'beta vibes', but I've seen enough to suggest that most players are going to have an absolute blast unlocking the fresh secrets of WoW: Forever.

A sight to behold

(Image credit: Blizzard)

Graphically, the game is a real upgrade, too. The lighting effects in particular add a lot of atmosphere to the zones without detracting too much from the original vibe. The art style (mostly) looks the same, but Blizzard has leaned into making the world a little more immersive with new lighting and increased draw distances.

For my sins, I also like the new Skyborne race, which has really divided the player base (mostly between those who are flatly opposed and those who are ambivalent).

I think Blizzard was stuck with a tough decision in regard to adding an elven race to the game. Simply adding Blood Elves for the Horde would have left the Alliance without a new option. Conversely, adding both Blood Elves and High Elves into the game would have likely meant quite a few more zones to add.

Instead, we've got a completely new race of Elves for either faction with one starter zone: Zephyrus Isle. There's no doubt it's a compromise.

Having played through said zone, however, I was pleasantly surprised. I don't think the zone is quite as different as some are painting. Yes, there are a few quests that are reminiscent of modern WoW, but the overwhelming majority are as you would expect in Classic. I think if someone were to play WoW for the first time, they wouldn't find that much of a discrepancy between Zephyrus Isle and the other starter zones.

The biggest issue with the Skyborne, by far, is that some of their character models stick out compared to those from the older races. WoW: Forever lets players toggle between classic 'SD' character models and modern 'HD' models, and in the case of the former, there's definitely a marked difference in-game. It's particularly visible with the various Druid forms that the Skyborne have access to.

Dividing the fan base

(Image credit: Blizzard)

So, overall, my impressions are positive, but I do have a few misgivings about WoW: Forever's initial direction. As previously suggested, I'm very much on the side of 'fewer changes' rather than a maximalist when it comes to Classic Plus. I generally believe that Blizzard should tread carefully when tweaking the winning formula.

Because of this, I'm slightly wary of some of the class changes that Blizzard has already implemented into the game. In some cases, they've genuinely fixed serious issues that have made certain classes unviable or boring, but in others, I think they've stripped out a little bit of character. Inevitably, there will always be balance issues with any changed system, but what I'm worried about is making classes too smoothed out.

Take Hunter, for example, which was my main class in the original iteration of WoW. Blizzard has added a few spells and made the class a little easier to play by removing some of the finer animations. I think the changes will prove popular, but I loved the subtle gameplay of timing certain abilities around your auto attacks. It was difficult to master but rewarding, and I'm not so sure I'd enjoy the new changes as much.

(Image credit: Blizzard)

I'm also really not a big fan of the current mega-servers that appear to lock players into one faction long-term on the player-versus-player mega realm. I understand why Blizzard is implementing modern server technology, but the rigidity of the current setup is going to divide the players dramatically.

In my own case, for example, I have a group of friends who want to play Alliance on the PvP megaserver and another who want to play Horde. Under the current setup, there's no option for me to have characters in both factions without having two separate Blizzard accounts. Previously, I would just have two characters on separate servers.

I would assume that many veterans who have accrued friends over the years might be in the same situation as me. I've known some of these people for over twenty years, so I'm weighing my decisions carefully.

Considering the server technology appears to be using some form of sharding (like retail), I don't quite grasp why Blizzard doesn't allow both factions on the PvP server. Corpse camping, for example, is quite easily solved through instancing. In a high-population area, players are constantly switched between shards anyway, which doesn't particularly lend itself to a social or 'classic' experience.

I suspect the reasoning behind the rigidity is a new system that groups players into instances based on previous interactions. In practice, that means encountering guildies and those who you've grouped with before. It's a nice system, but it's not so nice that it offsets the issue of faction locking.

For myself, the rigid modern server structure is by far and away the biggest issue I have with WoW: Forever so far. I'd even go so far that this will quite literally divide the player base — both in opinion and in-game. The idea of not being able to play with half my friends in perpetuity certainly puts a massive dampener on my experience.

Will Blizzard address it? I'm not so certain based on how committed they appear to the current setup. However, if they would, then I'd even go so far as to say that this could be the best iteration of WoW so far. For me, at least.

The disclosure is the latest in a string of incidents in which the AI platform has been caught going rogue. OpenAI says it is reviewing the findings.

(Image credit: Michael Dwyer)

PixelMob Portable AI Workstation: 30-second reviewSpecs

Display: 7-inch OLED touchscreen
Brightness: 1,100 nits
Operating system: Android
Memory: 12GB LPDDR5 RAM
Internal storage: 256GB as standard
Storage expansion: Three M.2 slots, supporting up to 24TB total storage
Card slots: CFexpress Type B, SD and microSD
Connectivity: USB-A, USB-C, HDMI input, HDMI output, LAN and 3.5mm headphone jack
CFexpress transfer speed: Up to 800MB/s
Internal battery: 11,600mAh
External battery: Sony NP-F compatible
Dimensions: 104 x 195 x 25mm
Weight: 550g

If digital creatives, from photographers to videographers, were to design a piece of kit, it would be the PixelMob Pro. It’s essentially a fully featured asset manager that lets you plug in a variety of storage media from cameras or external hard drives, then organise and edit them onto its internal storage, all through its large touchscreen interface.

The system runs on Android, and much of the interface and usability will feel familiar to many. Still, dedicated apps such as Lightbox, Sequence, Cones, and Framebox let you manage and edit all the files, and in addition to these there are a few familiar apps that you can download as well, such as CapCut, Lightroom and a selection from DJI; there’s even a direct connection to Cloud Storage for additional backup.

Getting started was straightforward, with a few small workflow issues, such as setting up a lightbox, before things really started to make sense.

Before getting properly started, I downloaded and updated the firmware, which took a good hour. However, after a restart and refresh, the device was finally set and ready to go.

When I plugged in my first SD card, it took about 5 to 10 seconds for it to appear, ready for the files within to be either partially or fully downloaded and backed up to the internal drive. The whole process is relatively straightforward. However, you do need to set up a Lightbox before you start, which took me a while to figure out.

If you download the files directly without first creating a Lightbox, you won't be able to navigate or manage them, so it's an integral part of the workflow, and throughout there are small workflow points like this, but updates through the test have addressed most. It would have been helpful to have a few tooltips at the start when you first use the PixelMob, just to point you in the right direction.

However, once you get used to how the workflow goes, it's all easy enough, and there are plenty of input options, including USB, USB-C, SD, microSD and CFexpress Type B. They've even included a Type B to Type A adaptor in the box, which is handy for anyone using a Sony camera.

Once you get into the flow and work out how to use Lightbox, Sequence, and Cones, things start to make sense. If you're out in the field as a photographer or videographer looking for a decent way to back up all your image and video files, then while asset managers have been available for years, the PixelMob takes everything up a notch or two.

However, while the form and function of this device are superb for the most part, it would be good if some small workflow issues could be addressed, I'll cover those in the Performance section.

There are also certain build-quality issues. The outer casing doesn't feel as high quality as it could and feels more like a prototype than a finished product.

The fact that it takes a standard Sony NP-F battery at the back is superb for battery longevity. However, the battery doesn't fit neatly and, although it has a securing lock to keep the battery in place, the fit just isn't quite right, so it rests in place rather than locking firmly.

One thing I did like about my NP-F battery plugged into the back is that it makes a very nifty stand.

Another point is that some CFexpress Type B cards took a long time to be recognised, and a couple of the larger 1TB and 2TB models weren't recognised at all. In those cases, I had to use a card reader plugged into the USB-C port for them to connect.

However, aside from build quality and a few workflow issues, this is a solid unit. What I really liked was that, while it comes with 256GB of internal storage ready to go, it's in the form of an M.2 2280 module.

The internal storage can be upgraded, with three M.2 slots available and support for up to 8TB modules, potentially giving you up to 24TB of internal storage.

Since this is from UniDrive, it comes with UniDrive NAS software. It also has features like cloud backup, and it even has a LAN port on the back. Essentially, if you ask any photographer what they want for a backup solution on site and back in the studio, this small touchscreen box has it all.

Once the workflow issues are resolved, along with possibly slightly better build quality for the outer casing, this will be a must-have for many professional photographers or videographers.

PixelMob Portable AI Workstation: Price & availability

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

At present, the PixelMob has launched through Kickstarter as the PixelMob Portable AI Workstation for Creators. The full listing can be seen at Kickstarter here, while the official website is regularly updated with additional information here.

• Score: 4/5

PixelMob Portable AI Workstation: Design & build

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The PixelMob's design and build look very outdoorsy. It looks like a tough tablet or oversized mobile phone, and the screen size sits somewhere in between at seven inches with an OLED screen.

It has a brightness of 1,100 nits, which is impressive, and it runs on Android, so it supports many Android apps. In fact, you can install apps from DJI and other manufacturers if you want to connect it to a drone, your mobile phone or even your camera.

What I also liked was that you can connect it directly to the Sony A7 IV; in my case, you can use it as a professional monitoring system, essentially as a second screen and as a way to back up full-resolution files to the device.

In terms of size and weight, it measures 104 x 195 x 25mm and weighs 550g, putting it somewhere between a large mobile phone and a small tablet.

A quick look around the body shows plenty of input options, including CFexpress Type B, which enables up to 800MB/s transfer speeds, SD, microSD, USB-A, and USB-C. On the side are another USB-C port and the power button.

On the top, there are two HDMI ports, one input and one output, another USB-C port and the LAN port. On the base, there's a connector, and on the back there's an NP-F mount so you can add standard NP-F batteries.

For memory, it comes with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The internal SSD can be upgraded, and there are two additional M.2 slots so you can add up to three at 8TB a piece, for 24TB of internal storage in this one small unit.

Inside, an 11,600mAh battery powers the device and, under extreme loads, this will last two to three hours, or around six hours with lighter use. In standby mode, you'll get over a week. Then, of course, you can plug in the NP-F battery for extended working time.

When I unpacked the PixelMob, I wasn’t so impressed by the overall design. It looked OK and had the same sort of look that you expect from a tough phone or tablet, but this just isn’t backed up by the build quality.

The slightly plasticky exterior feels a little cheap and not very robust. Through the test, the outer casing did stand up to life in my backpack, although I’ll admit to being a little more careful with it than I would usually be.

I also found a few other bits and pieces as I went around the build, such as access to the back panel where you can install additional drives. It felt a little light and was held in by just one crosshead screw. If you shake the device, it also has a rattle, which is from the power button area.

Most notably, the battery holder for an external NP-F battery wasn't quite the right fit. Still, these issues detract from what is potentially an extraordinary piece of kit.

• Design: 3.5/5

PixelMob Portable AI Workstation: Features

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

When I picked up the PixelMob, I was struck by the sheer volume of features available. Essentially, the main point is it’s designed to back up your camera storage media quickly while you're on the move, then let you download everything to a machine or NAS as soon as you get home. But then it does more, enabling you to manage and edit the content, tether to a camera and even take control to capture different styles of images.

Thanks to the intelligent onboard software and its Android platform, it's easy to adapt it to a professional workflow. Even if you're a keen enthusiast, there's plenty here to get everything organised.

So whether you're a photographer, videographer or just somebody who needs to transfer and display data in various locations, the PixelMob is a superb option.

In terms of features, it has internal storage that lets you transfer data from cameras and other devices directly onto the unit. From there, you can edit and manage those files and assets. You can even use it as a media player with HDMI output to a larger screen.

The content you save to the device is managed by built-in AI that scans the files and offers smart subject recognition and other AI features for file organisation.

If you're a photographer or videographer, you can use that large seven-inch screen to monitor your camera. You simply plug it in through HDMI, and you can use it as a link between your camera and larger monitoring and recording systems.

You can even use it for tethered shooting or as a video-review device. It includes a huge range of creative options that photographers and videographers will inevitably find useful.

In my testing, one of the best features for photography and video was the ability to get quick on-site previews, and I could store files on the device to edit them directly while out and about. Essentially, I had everything stored in one location that I could then use to start the file organisation.

For backups, all storage media I use is compatible with slots for CFexpress Type B cards from my Canon EOS R5 C. My two Sony A7 IVs both use CFexpress Type A, and with the adaptor, I could plug those into the CFexpress Type B port and back them up as well. It also has slots for SD UHS-II and microSD.

I could also plug in a USB-A 3.2 or USB-C device and download further data to the machine. The only issue is that the standard 256GB is quite small, so for this test I added an extra M.2 drive to expand storage by 1TB.

Inside, it has a relatively large internal battery which provides plenty of power for around two hours of heavy use. However, if you're out and about with large cards, especially if you max out the internal storage, you'll want a bit more battery power.

The great thing is that the company has decided to use the NP-F battery format, which is used by a huge amount of photography equipment, monitors, and other accessories. I have a stack of them in my kit bag, so they plug directly into the back of the unit, further extending battery power.

Essentially, that internal storage gives you an extra layer of protection, letting you back up all your storage media on a shoot and preview it. Where this one differs is that it also plugs directly into your camera and, with features like time-lapse video, star trails, HDR bracketing, focus bracketing, and panorama merging, gives you additional tools to use with your camera.

What's more, you can back everything up to the cloud if and when you need.

So when it comes to features, this is one of the most feature-packed devices that I've ever looked at. Essentially, it looks like they've taken photographers' full wish list and combined it into one small, handy-to-carry box.

• Features: 4.5/5

PixelMob Portable AI Workstation: Performance

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

When the PixelMob Pro arrived, I was surprised to find its size and weight somewhere between a mobile phone and a tablet, as previous devices of this type, not going back to those made by Epson, are generally rather small.

However, this is a lot more involved and getting started was all easy, if slightly time-consuming. First, after fully charging the internal battery to 100%, I ran through the updates, making sure everything was on the latest version.

The first stage of updating took around 30 minutes. Once the main bulk of the Android and hardware firmware updates finished, there were further updates for the AI processing and many of the pre-installed apps. Altogether, getting everything completely up to date can take a long time.

The system is essentially based on Android, and it's great to see that you can install many familiar apps if you want. As you drag left on the screen, for instance, it shows a list of standard apps. While the Play Store isn't part of the system, if you click Apps and then Third Party, you'll see a list of pre-approved apps that have been added for download and are fully compatible with the system.

These include DJI apps, Instagram, Adobe Lightroom, Pinterest and Snapseed, amongst others. Importantly for further testing, Sony's Monitor & Control app is also available, which lets me control my Sony A7 IV.

Hopefully, as this system develops, we'll see equal compatibility for Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Fujifilm and others. Once you've applied all updates and restarted the system, you can start copying data to it or use the PixelMob Pro as a tethering device for your camera systems.

Before I went into the main review and checked out what it could do on the performance side, I also looked at the internal storage. As standard, it comes with 256GB; however, as I flipped open the back and removed the back panel that’s secured with a crosshead screw, I noticed two additional M.2 ports.

That means that if I removed the 256GB drive that was already in and replaced it with an 8TB option, then I could potentially have up to 24TB of internal storage, which is the same amount as my NAS drive that I use in the studio.

Potentially, I could have everything from my NAS, image-wise, on this device and still have room to back up images and video on every shoot I go on.

However, 8TB M.2 SSDs are hugely expensive, so for this test I just popped in a 1TB drive alongside the 256GB drive that was already installed.

I formatted it into the system using the UniDrive application, which I've used in the past for previous UniDrive products. It was extremely straightforward, and I was pleased to see the app has developed along with the workflow, which is now much easier to progress through than it was when I looked at UniDrive well over a year ago.

Once the drive format was complete, I was able to start downloading my files from CFexpress cards, SD cards, and microSD cards.

The cameras I used were the Canon EOS R5 C, using CFexpress Type B cards, and the Sony A7 IV, using CFexpress Type A cards with the adaptor supplied with the device.

With each, you take the card out of your camera, plug it into the side of the PixelMob Pro, and after around five seconds, the system recognises the card. A simple tap will then download it to the machine. However, as I found, before you do that on the first run, it's important to set up a Lightbox.

One of the apps at the bottom of the screen is the Lightbox app. Essentially, tap it, click New, and add your new Lightbox. Once that's done, you can simply click to import all of the files from your SD or CFexpress card directly to that folder, and then a few interesting things happen. First, the files transfer, then the internal AI processes them. This gives you a full set of auto-tagged options and highlights whether the file is JPEG or RAW.

Clicking the folder shows a thumbnail, and the rendering is exceptionally quick. To be honest, it's faster than when I try to review stuff using Adobe Bridge. As you scroll through, you can see each file; once you find a picture you like, just tap it, and it'll open.

If you've taken several images that are very similar, say you've taken three iterations of the same point, then it'll recognise those images as a burst and group them. This makes scrolling through hundreds of images, which photographers often have to do, that much easier.

It also shows you similar files. If you've got lots of similar files, it also does face recognition, so if there are people you know, you can add them, as you do with many online photo applications.

As you go through the different functions and features, it'll also show you images that are overexposed or underexposed. If you want, you can go into the AI settings and switch on options such as Basic Assist, Similar Photos, portrait detection (where you can upload specific people), bird recognition, and empty-scene detection, which are all exceptionally useful.

If you do have an image, you can select it and apply star ratings and flags, check the colour, or take it through to Cones, where you can start editing the image with the built-in image editor.

Again, it gives you plenty of options and control. With some of the larger JPEG files that I started to manipulate, it can be a little slower initially to load the image. Still, once you start applying filters, each filter and adjustment applies extremely quickly. For an on-the-move solution, it's really very slick.

Alongside the more standard enhancement edits, there's also a whole bunch of stacking edits. So if you've been out taking star trails, astro time-lapses, focus or exposure sequences, which you can all do tethered, Cones gives you all of the functions and features to edit those pictures within the confines of this small box, and that is very clever, especially with the touch screen.

Likewise, alongside Cones you also have Framebox, which is essentially a built-in video editor, but personally I downloaded CapCut and utilised that as it's a much better application.

These applications are all exceptionally clever, and many enable either a wired or wireless connection to your mirrorless camera, which I found incredibly useful and well beyond anything I've used before. For the most part, I used the tethered connection to the Sony A7 IV, and the initial setup took a bit of to-and-fro, but was simple enough once the right options on the camera were selected.

Connecting with the Sony A7 IV, all I needed to do was click the option that I wanted from the Sequence modes, make sure that I had a USB-C cable connecting the Sony to the PixelMob Pro and, after a few seconds, with PC Remote switched on in the camera, I was then able to see a live-stream feed directly on the PixelMob from the camera.

With simulated long exposure, I could select the capture interval and simulated exposure, then click Next and start capture. It then ran through the sequence, capturing 30 images and triggering the camera for each one. While I've seen small devices that enable this sort of triggering, I haven't seen anything quite as advanced work so seamlessly.

The resulting image combines all 30 pictures the camera takes. It processes them to create a simulated long-exposure shot, something you can normally only do with an ND or variable ND attached to your camera.

You can also go through to the standard tethered shooting modes. Open the Tether app, click the camera you want to connect, then select the Lightbox. Again, it's a good idea to create a new Lightbox. Here, you don't get the live feed from the camera. Instead, you use the camera tethered to the box, and every time you take a picture, it instantly appears on the device, saved and ready to review.

You can keep taking pictures, and they'll download directly from the camera to the device's internal storage. It's an absolutely superb option for stills. However, when you switch your camera to video, that tethered option doesn't work, and you'll have to go back to the more normal monitoring option and to record video you switch to another application.

Video is handled by Deck. With this mode selected, essentially the entire device becomes a monitor for the camera. You've got your HDMI running from the camera straight into the device, and a simple record button lets you record directly onto the PixelMob. You can record at either 5, 10, 20, 30 or 50Mbps.

It's not comparable with an Atomos Shinobi or Ninja, but it's a great device for creators. You can even add LUTs for different colour-grading effects at the same time, making it a really flexible device.

• Performance: 4.5/5

Should you buy the PixelMob Portable AI Workstation?

Ultimately, the PixelMob is one of the most feature-packed devices that I’ve ever looked at for photographers, videographers and creators. It enables complete image management, but it goes well beyond storing image files and becomes a bigger part of your workflow.

You can use it for tethering, video recording and, obviously, organising, editing and sharing your video and image files while you’re out and about. It combines portable storage, AI-assisted organisation, tethered shooting, image editing and video monitoring in one compact device, and the ability to expand the internal storage makes it even more useful.

Some areas still need refinement. Some workflow issues mean you have to duck in and out of various apps, and while you can do a lot, some of them are a little simplistic in certain ways. CFexpress compatibility is also inconsistent, and the outer casing feels quite plasticky compared with the quality of everything else.

However, these applications are there to support your creative media, and what the PixelMob enables is far more than any other device that I’ve seen. The system's flexibility and how well it fits into a professional creative workflow make it an extremely capable device and one that I will be using going forward.

Value

Packed feature set that goes well beyond most asset managers, but at a price.

4

Design

Practical design, but build needs refinement, especially the choice of plastics.

3

Features

Exceptional range of creative workflow tools with some small refinement needed.

5

Performance

Fast, with plenty of flexibility in its use from storage to capture.

4.5

Overall

One of the most exciting products for photographers available despite small build quality issues.

4.5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Buy it if...

You need to back up media while you're on location.

The PixelMob lets you back up CFexpress, SD, microSD, and USB storage directly to its internal storage while you're out in the field.

You want more than a simple backup device.

You can use it for tethered shooting, image editing, video monitoring and recording, AI-assisted file organisation, and specialist shooting sequences.

Don't buy it if...

You want a completely polished workflow.

Some workflows require you to move between different apps, and the importance of setting up a Lightbox isn't immediately obvious when you first start using the device.

You expect premium build quality.

The outer casing feels slightly plasticky, and the rear panel and NP-F battery mount don't feel as refined as the rest of the device.

PixelMob Portable AI Workstation: 30-second reviewSpecs

Display: 7-inch OLED touchscreen
Brightness: 1,100 nits
Operating system: Android
Memory: 12GB LPDDR5 RAM
Internal storage: 256GB as standard
Storage expansion: Three M.2 slots, supporting up to 24TB total storage
Card slots: CFexpress Type B, SD and microSD
Connectivity: USB-A, USB-C, HDMI input, HDMI output, LAN and 3.5mm headphone jack
CFexpress transfer speed: Up to 800MB/s
Internal battery: 11,600mAh
External battery: Sony NP-F compatible
Dimensions: 104 x 195 x 25mm
Weight: 550g

If digital creatives, from photographers to videographers, were to design a piece of kit, it would be the PixelMob Pro. It’s essentially a fully featured asset manager that lets you plug in a variety of storage media from cameras or external hard drives, then organise and edit them onto its internal storage, all through its large touchscreen interface.

The system runs on Android, and much of the interface and usability will feel familiar to many. Still, dedicated apps such as Lightbox, Sequence, Cones, and Framebox let you manage and edit all the files, and in addition to these there are a few familiar apps that you can download as well, such as CapCut, Lightroom and a selection from DJI; there’s even a direct connection to Cloud Storage for additional backup.

Getting started was straightforward, with a few small workflow issues, such as setting up a lightbox, before things really started to make sense.

Before getting properly started, I downloaded and updated the firmware, which took a good hour. However, after a restart and refresh, the device was finally set and ready to go.

When I plugged in my first SD card, it took about 5 to 10 seconds for it to appear, ready for the files within to be either partially or fully downloaded and backed up to the internal drive. The whole process is relatively straightforward. However, you do need to set up a Lightbox before you start, which took me a while to figure out.

If you download the files directly without first creating a Lightbox, you won't be able to navigate or manage them, so it's an integral part of the workflow, and throughout there are small workflow points like this, but updates through the test have addressed most. It would have been helpful to have a few tooltips at the start when you first use the PixelMob, just to point you in the right direction.

However, once you get used to how the workflow goes, it's all easy enough, and there are plenty of input options, including USB, USB-C, SD, microSD and CFexpress Type B. They've even included a Type B to Type A adaptor in the box, which is handy for anyone using a Sony camera.

Once you get into the flow and work out how to use Lightbox, Sequence, and Cones, things start to make sense. If you're out in the field as a photographer or videographer looking for a decent way to back up all your image and video files, then while asset managers have been available for years, the PixelMob takes everything up a notch or two.

However, while the form and function of this device are superb for the most part, it would be good if some small workflow issues could be addressed, I'll cover those in the Performance section.

There are also certain build-quality issues. The outer casing doesn't feel as high quality as it could and feels more like a prototype than a finished product.

The fact that it takes a standard Sony NP-F battery at the back is superb for battery longevity. However, the battery doesn't fit neatly and, although it has a securing lock to keep the battery in place, the fit just isn't quite right, so it rests in place rather than locking firmly.

One thing I did like about my NP-F battery plugged into the back is that it makes a very nifty stand.

Another point is that some CFexpress Type B cards took a long time to be recognised, and a couple of the larger 1TB and 2TB models weren't recognised at all. In those cases, I had to use a card reader plugged into the USB-C port for them to connect.

However, aside from build quality and a few workflow issues, this is a solid unit. What I really liked was that, while it comes with 256GB of internal storage ready to go, it's in the form of an M.2 2280 module.

The internal storage can be upgraded, with three M.2 slots available and support for up to 8TB modules, potentially giving you up to 24TB of internal storage.

Since this is from UniDrive, it comes with UniDrive NAS software. It also has features like cloud backup, and it even has a LAN port on the back. Essentially, if you ask any photographer what they want for a backup solution on site and back in the studio, this small touchscreen box has it all.

Once the workflow issues are resolved, along with possibly slightly better build quality for the outer casing, this will be a must-have for many professional photographers or videographers.

PixelMob Portable AI Workstation: Price & availability

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

At present, the PixelMob has launched through Kickstarter as the PixelMob Portable AI Workstation for Creators. The full listing can be seen at Kickstarter here, while the official website is regularly updated with additional information here.

• Score: 4/5

PixelMob Portable AI Workstation: Design & build

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

The PixelMob's design and build look very outdoorsy. It looks like a tough tablet or oversized mobile phone, and the screen size sits somewhere in between at seven inches with an OLED screen.

It has a brightness of 1,100 nits, which is impressive, and it runs on Android, so it supports many Android apps. In fact, you can install apps from DJI and other manufacturers if you want to connect it to a drone, your mobile phone or even your camera.

What I also liked was that you can connect it directly to the Sony A7 IV; in my case, you can use it as a professional monitoring system, essentially as a second screen and as a way to back up full-resolution files to the device.

In terms of size and weight, it measures 104 x 195 x 25mm and weighs 550g, putting it somewhere between a large mobile phone and a small tablet.

A quick look around the body shows plenty of input options, including CFexpress Type B, which enables up to 800MB/s transfer speeds, SD, microSD, USB-A, and USB-C. On the side are another USB-C port and the power button.

On the top, there are two HDMI ports, one input and one output, another USB-C port and the LAN port. On the base, there's a connector, and on the back there's an NP-F mount so you can add standard NP-F batteries.

For memory, it comes with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The internal SSD can be upgraded, and there are two additional M.2 slots so you can add up to three at 8TB a piece, for 24TB of internal storage in this one small unit.

Inside, an 11,600mAh battery powers the device and, under extreme loads, this will last two to three hours, or around six hours with lighter use. In standby mode, you'll get over a week. Then, of course, you can plug in the NP-F battery for extended working time.

When I unpacked the PixelMob, I wasn’t so impressed by the overall design. It looked OK and had the same sort of look that you expect from a tough phone or tablet, but this just isn’t backed up by the build quality.

The slightly plasticky exterior feels a little cheap and not very robust. Through the test, the outer casing did stand up to life in my backpack, although I’ll admit to being a little more careful with it than I would usually be.

I also found a few other bits and pieces as I went around the build, such as access to the back panel where you can install additional drives. It felt a little light and was held in by just one crosshead screw. If you shake the device, it also has a rattle, which is from the power button area.

Most notably, the battery holder for an external NP-F battery wasn't quite the right fit. Still, these issues detract from what is potentially an extraordinary piece of kit.

• Design: 3.5/5

PixelMob Portable AI Workstation: Features

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

When I picked up the PixelMob, I was struck by the sheer volume of features available. Essentially, the main point is it’s designed to back up your camera storage media quickly while you're on the move, then let you download everything to a machine or NAS as soon as you get home. But then it does more, enabling you to manage and edit the content, tether to a camera and even take control to capture different styles of images.

Thanks to the intelligent onboard software and its Android platform, it's easy to adapt it to a professional workflow. Even if you're a keen enthusiast, there's plenty here to get everything organised.

So whether you're a photographer, videographer or just somebody who needs to transfer and display data in various locations, the PixelMob is a superb option.

In terms of features, it has internal storage that lets you transfer data from cameras and other devices directly onto the unit. From there, you can edit and manage those files and assets. You can even use it as a media player with HDMI output to a larger screen.

The content you save to the device is managed by built-in AI that scans the files and offers smart subject recognition and other AI features for file organisation.

If you're a photographer or videographer, you can use that large seven-inch screen to monitor your camera. You simply plug it in through HDMI, and you can use it as a link between your camera and larger monitoring and recording systems.

You can even use it for tethered shooting or as a video-review device. It includes a huge range of creative options that photographers and videographers will inevitably find useful.

In my testing, one of the best features for photography and video was the ability to get quick on-site previews, and I could store files on the device to edit them directly while out and about. Essentially, I had everything stored in one location that I could then use to start the file organisation.

For backups, all storage media I use is compatible with slots for CFexpress Type B cards from my Canon EOS R5 C. My two Sony A7 IVs both use CFexpress Type A, and with the adaptor, I could plug those into the CFexpress Type B port and back them up as well. It also has slots for SD UHS-II and microSD.

I could also plug in a USB-A 3.2 or USB-C device and download further data to the machine. The only issue is that the standard 256GB is quite small, so for this test I added an extra M.2 drive to expand storage by 1TB.

Inside, it has a relatively large internal battery which provides plenty of power for around two hours of heavy use. However, if you're out and about with large cards, especially if you max out the internal storage, you'll want a bit more battery power.

The great thing is that the company has decided to use the NP-F battery format, which is used by a huge amount of photography equipment, monitors, and other accessories. I have a stack of them in my kit bag, so they plug directly into the back of the unit, further extending battery power.

Essentially, that internal storage gives you an extra layer of protection, letting you back up all your storage media on a shoot and preview it. Where this one differs is that it also plugs directly into your camera and, with features like time-lapse video, star trails, HDR bracketing, focus bracketing, and panorama merging, gives you additional tools to use with your camera.

What's more, you can back everything up to the cloud if and when you need.

So when it comes to features, this is one of the most feature-packed devices that I've ever looked at. Essentially, it looks like they've taken photographers' full wish list and combined it into one small, handy-to-carry box.

• Features: 4.5/5

PixelMob Portable AI Workstation: Performance

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)

When the PixelMob Pro arrived, I was surprised to find its size and weight somewhere between a mobile phone and a tablet, as previous devices of this type, not going back to those made by Epson, are generally rather small.

However, this is a lot more involved and getting started was all easy, if slightly time-consuming. First, after fully charging the internal battery to 100%, I ran through the updates, making sure everything was on the latest version.

The first stage of updating took around 30 minutes. Once the main bulk of the Android and hardware firmware updates finished, there were further updates for the AI processing and many of the pre-installed apps. Altogether, getting everything completely up to date can take a long time.

The system is essentially based on Android, and it's great to see that you can install many familiar apps if you want. As you drag left on the screen, for instance, it shows a list of standard apps. While the Play Store isn't part of the system, if you click Apps and then Third Party, you'll see a list of pre-approved apps that have been added for download and are fully compatible with the system.

These include DJI apps, Instagram, Adobe Lightroom, Pinterest and Snapseed, amongst others. Importantly for further testing, Sony's Monitor & Control app is also available, which lets me control my Sony A7 IV.

Hopefully, as this system develops, we'll see equal compatibility for Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Fujifilm and others. Once you've applied all updates and restarted the system, you can start copying data to it or use the PixelMob Pro as a tethering device for your camera systems.

Before I went into the main review and checked out what it could do on the performance side, I also looked at the internal storage. As standard, it comes with 256GB; however, as I flipped open the back and removed the back panel that’s secured with a crosshead screw, I noticed two additional M.2 ports.

That means that if I removed the 256GB drive that was already in and replaced it with an 8TB option, then I could potentially have up to 24TB of internal storage, which is the same amount as my NAS drive that I use in the studio.

Potentially, I could have everything from my NAS, image-wise, on this device and still have room to back up images and video on every shoot I go on.

However, 8TB M.2 SSDs are hugely expensive, so for this test I just popped in a 1TB drive alongside the 256GB drive that was already installed.

I formatted it into the system using the UniDrive application, which I've used in the past for previous UniDrive products. It was extremely straightforward, and I was pleased to see the app has developed along with the workflow, which is now much easier to progress through than it was when I looked at UniDrive well over a year ago.

Once the drive format was complete, I was able to start downloading my files from CFexpress cards, SD cards, and microSD cards.

The cameras I used were the Canon EOS R5 C, using CFexpress Type B cards, and the Sony A7 IV, using CFexpress Type A cards with the adaptor supplied with the device.

With each, you take the card out of your camera, plug it into the side of the PixelMob Pro, and after around five seconds, the system recognises the card. A simple tap will then download it to the machine. However, as I found, before you do that on the first run, it's important to set up a Lightbox.

One of the apps at the bottom of the screen is the Lightbox app. Essentially, tap it, click New, and add your new Lightbox. Once that's done, you can simply click to import all of the files from your SD or CFexpress card directly to that folder, and then a few interesting things happen. First, the files transfer, then the internal AI processes them. This gives you a full set of auto-tagged options and highlights whether the file is JPEG or RAW.

Clicking the folder shows a thumbnail, and the rendering is exceptionally quick. To be honest, it's faster than when I try to review stuff using Adobe Bridge. As you scroll through, you can see each file; once you find a picture you like, just tap it, and it'll open.

If you've taken several images that are very similar, say you've taken three iterations of the same point, then it'll recognise those images as a burst and group them. This makes scrolling through hundreds of images, which photographers often have to do, that much easier.

It also shows you similar files. If you've got lots of similar files, it also does face recognition, so if there are people you know, you can add them, as you do with many online photo applications.

As you go through the different functions and features, it'll also show you images that are overexposed or underexposed. If you want, you can go into the AI settings and switch on options such as Basic Assist, Similar Photos, portrait detection (where you can upload specific people), bird recognition, and empty-scene detection, which are all exceptionally useful.

If you do have an image, you can select it and apply star ratings and flags, check the colour, or take it through to Cones, where you can start editing the image with the built-in image editor.

Again, it gives you plenty of options and control. With some of the larger JPEG files that I started to manipulate, it can be a little slower initially to load the image. Still, once you start applying filters, each filter and adjustment applies extremely quickly. For an on-the-move solution, it's really very slick.

Alongside the more standard enhancement edits, there's also a whole bunch of stacking edits. So if you've been out taking star trails, astro time-lapses, focus or exposure sequences, which you can all do tethered, Cones gives you all of the functions and features to edit those pictures within the confines of this small box, and that is very clever, especially with the touch screen.

Likewise, alongside Cones you also have Framebox, which is essentially a built-in video editor, but personally I downloaded CapCut and utilised that as it's a much better application.

These applications are all exceptionally clever, and many enable either a wired or wireless connection to your mirrorless camera, which I found incredibly useful and well beyond anything I've used before. For the most part, I used the tethered connection to the Sony A7 IV, and the initial setup took a bit of to-and-fro, but was simple enough once the right options on the camera were selected.

Connecting with the Sony A7 IV, all I needed to do was click the option that I wanted from the Sequence modes, make sure that I had a USB-C cable connecting the Sony to the PixelMob Pro and, after a few seconds, with PC Remote switched on in the camera, I was then able to see a live-stream feed directly on the PixelMob from the camera.

With simulated long exposure, I could select the capture interval and simulated exposure, then click Next and start capture. It then ran through the sequence, capturing 30 images and triggering the camera for each one. While I've seen small devices that enable this sort of triggering, I haven't seen anything quite as advanced work so seamlessly.

The resulting image combines all 30 pictures the camera takes. It processes them to create a simulated long-exposure shot, something you can normally only do with an ND or variable ND attached to your camera.

You can also go through to the standard tethered shooting modes. Open the Tether app, click the camera you want to connect, then select the Lightbox. Again, it's a good idea to create a new Lightbox. Here, you don't get the live feed from the camera. Instead, you use the camera tethered to the box, and every time you take a picture, it instantly appears on the device, saved and ready to review.

You can keep taking pictures, and they'll download directly from the camera to the device's internal storage. It's an absolutely superb option for stills. However, when you switch your camera to video, that tethered option doesn't work, and you'll have to go back to the more normal monitoring option and to record video you switch to another application.

Video is handled by Deck. With this mode selected, essentially the entire device becomes a monitor for the camera. You've got your HDMI running from the camera straight into the device, and a simple record button lets you record directly onto the PixelMob. You can record at either 5, 10, 20, 30 or 50Mbps.

It's not comparable with an Atomos Shinobi or Ninja, but it's a great device for creators. You can even add LUTs for different colour-grading effects at the same time, making it a really flexible device.

• Performance: 4.5/5

Should you buy the PixelMob Portable AI Workstation?

Ultimately, the PixelMob is one of the most feature-packed devices that I’ve ever looked at for photographers, videographers and creators. It enables complete image management, but it goes well beyond storing image files and becomes a bigger part of your workflow.

You can use it for tethering, video recording and, obviously, organising, editing and sharing your video and image files while you’re out and about. It combines portable storage, AI-assisted organisation, tethered shooting, image editing and video monitoring in one compact device, and the ability to expand the internal storage makes it even more useful.

Some areas still need refinement. Some workflow issues mean you have to duck in and out of various apps, and while you can do a lot, some of them are a little simplistic in certain ways. CFexpress compatibility is also inconsistent, and the outer casing feels quite plasticky compared with the quality of everything else.

However, these applications are there to support your creative media, and what the PixelMob enables is far more than any other device that I’ve seen. The system's flexibility and how well it fits into a professional creative workflow make it an extremely capable device and one that I will be using going forward.

Value

Packed feature set that goes well beyond most asset managers, but at a price.

4

Design

Practical design, but build needs refinement, especially the choice of plastics.

3

Features

Exceptional range of creative workflow tools with some small refinement needed.

5

Performance

Fast, with plenty of flexibility in its use from storage to capture.

4.5

Overall

One of the most exciting products for photographers available despite small build quality issues.

4.5

(Image credit: Alastair Jennings)Buy it if...

You need to back up media while you're on location.

The PixelMob lets you back up CFexpress, SD, microSD, and USB storage directly to its internal storage while you're out in the field.

You want more than a simple backup device.

You can use it for tethered shooting, image editing, video monitoring and recording, AI-assisted file organisation, and specialist shooting sequences.

Don't buy it if...

You want a completely polished workflow.

Some workflows require you to move between different apps, and the importance of setting up a Lightbox isn't immediately obvious when you first start using the device.

You expect premium build quality.

The outer casing feels slightly plasticky, and the rear panel and NP-F battery mount don't feel as refined as the rest of the device.

JBL Live Flex 4 review

The JBL Live Flex 4 might be the perfect option for you if you want earbuds that put comfort first. Their lightweight, relaxed fit is perfect for listening on the go, meaning that, unlike some earbuds with a tight in-ear seal, they won't get tiresome or irritating after a while. And yet you can use them with ANC or transparency modes, giving you the option to shut the outside world out, or stay aware of your surroundings to impressive effect.

But perhaps the real draw of the JBL Live Flex 4 is their smart charging case. It has a touchscreen equipped, enabling you to adjust ANC, EQ, playback and more, all without having to whip out your source device. If your phone or music streamer is in your bag or if you don’t want to go to the hassle of opening up the JBL Headphones app, this is pretty convenient.

Is the smart case gimmicky? Maybe a bit, but I like a good gimmick from time to time. And it's super-responsive, with a massive quantity of features onboard. Other than those I mentioned above, the Flex 4 case lets you alter speech for calling, toggle spatial audio, switch audio source, and even use tools such as a timer and flashlight. As a result, these earbuds easily rival the very best wireless earbuds when it comes to features and usability.

The JBL Headphones app does offer a bit more functionality, though. For example, it gives you the ability to set a custom wallpaper for your earbuds case, and activate the higher-resolution codec, LDAC, which can provide better quality playback if your source device is compatible. Most Android phones support LDAC, though iPhone users won’t be able to make use of it.

(Image credit: Future)

I’ve mentioned ANC a few times, and I have to say, it’s surprisingly effective here. You see, the JBL Live Buds 4 and JBL Live Beam 4 offer an in-ear seal, so I expected a lot from them in terms of noise-cancelling — but they ended up being fairly middling in this area for me. Compared to the competition, however, I found the Live Flex 4 to be pretty adept at muffling my surroundings.

Sure, the open architecture means that harsher sounds will seep in, but when on walks and working in the office, sounds like cars passing by and colleagues typing were subdued to decent effect. Again, the open design has its limitations, but the improved ‘True Adaptive Noise Cancelling 2.0’ on the Flex 4 proved to be a hit on this model.

The six-microphone system of the Flex 4 also means that calls are clear — and although my voice wasn’t always the most defined against background noise, I found my speech to be perfectly comprehensible, especially when making a recording and listening back to my voice.

What’s more, these buds offer pretty solid battery life. You get seven hours from the Flex 4 with ANC on, up to 10 hours with ANC off, and a maximum of 48 hours with the case. That’s a lot better than the new AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging, which sits at a similar price-point (although Apple's offering is just slightly cheaper). The Flex 4 also support wireless charging, which is always nice to have.

But here comes the crucial question: do the JBL Live Flex 4 sound any good? Well, let me begin by saying that the Live Buds 4 and Live Beam 4 perform better than these — and this comes down solely to the more relaxed fit, which means that sound is less concentrated in your ear canals, and low frequencies especially are less impactful.

This is why I typically steer clear of open-fit earbuds like the non-pro variants of the AirPods, for example. But actually, the Flex 4 ended up performing admirably, despite the limitations of the design.

They conjure up a relatively wide, spacious soundstage and, despite being open-fit earbuds, have pretty impactful bass too. With the default Studio EQ, the Flex 4 offer decent balance across the frequency range, although I did find that they were a little lacking in the low-end, but that was nothing that a swift EQ tweak in the 32-250Hz range couldn’t fix.

When tuning into Take Five by Dave Brubeck, I was treated to an expansive listen. Drums in the treble range sounded beautifully weighted and expressive, keys and lead saxophone were separated neatly, and double bass came through with a rich, full-bodied quality. Making use of LDAC took the experience to the next level too, with some added intricacies in the mid-range and finer detailing in percussion.

With Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley, guitar in the opening and vocals didn’t quite have the texture or resolution that more premium earbuds can supply, but still sounded clear and well-defined in the mix, even at the highest volumes.

And the earbuds performed well with just about every genre I threw at them. Even with the tech house track, Fascinator by Max Dean, pumping bass hit with phenomenal impact, and never seemed lethargic or overbearing. Vocal chops came through with clarity, and sub-bass — though not the most regimented or powerful I’ve heard — was prominent and didn’t muddy sounds elsewhere in the frequency range.

One thing I wasn’t so keen on, though, was the spatial audio mode. You have to switch LDAC off to access this (which is normal), but it doesn’t sound anywhere near as clean or precise as the standard tuning, so I decided to leave it off the vast majority of the time.

(Image credit: Future)

I also want to touch on the look and design of the JBL Live Flex 4. Again, the buds are very comfortable in use, and although they offer a relaxed fit, I never felt as if they would fall out of my ears or leak excessive amounts of sound. The buds are also IP54-rated, meaning they’re protected against dust ingress and splashes of water, so it was never an issue if I wanted to use them on a rainy day.

Are the Flex 4 the most premium looking earbuds around? Perhaps not. They have a bit of a plasticky look, and don’t feel particularly luxurious. But their curved design is fairly attractive, and the case itself is finished to a high standard. The Flex 4 are also available in a wide range of colors, with plenty of vibrant options to choose from for those seeking a stand-out aesthetic.

Let’s conclude, then, by discussing price. The JBL Live Flex 4 come in at £179.99 (about $240 / AU$340), which means they cost about the same as their predecessors, the JBL Live Flex 3. Are they worth it? Well, for me, the answer is yes. They provide very solid sound quality, a fun and feature-rich smart case, genuinely good ANC for open-fit earbuds, and decent battery life to boot.

As a result, I consider the JBL Live Flex 4 to be a great pair of wireless earbuds that are more than worthy of my recommendation. They’re not perfect, and the open design comes with its ups and downs, but for the cost you’re getting great all-rounders that feel like a great alternative to the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging — especially for Android users who want advanced features and higher-res Bluetooth streaming.

(Image credit: Future)JBL Live Flex 4 review: price & release date

• £179.99 (about $240 / AU$340)
• Revealed in May 2026

The JBL Live Flex 4 were revealed in May 2026, alongside their siblings, the JBL Live Beam 4 and JBL Live Buds 4. They arrived on the market about two years after their predecessor, the JBL Live Flex 3, was released.

JBL’s new open-fit earbuds come in at £179.99 (about $240 / AU$340), about the same as their predecessors cost when they launched (in the UK, that is). I’ve seen some limited availability in Australia, but there’s no news of a release date or pricing for the US just yet — we’ll update this review if and when further details emerge, though.

In terms of competition, the Live Flex 4 have one clear rival: the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging. This model comes in at $149 / £149 / AU$219. And while we've yet to finalise our full review there, AirPods are stylish, offer impressive sound, a range of perks for iPhone owners and surprisingly effective ANC — but, of course, they don’t have the Flex 4’s nifty smart charging case.

JBL Live Flex 4 review: specs

Drivers

12mm dynamic

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Battery life

7 hours (buds, with ANC on); 10 hours (buds, with ANC off); up to 48 hours (with charging case)

Weight

4.8g (per bud)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0

Frequency range

20Hz-40kHz

Waterproofing

IP54

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the JBL Live Flex 4?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

Nifty smart case has no shortage of options, ANC good given limitations of open-fit earbuds.

4.5/5

Sound quality

Solid performance across the frequency range, with a spacious soundstage to match.

4/5

Design

Not the most premium-looking buds, but relaxed fit and customizable case are a hit.

4.5/5

Value

A fitting price for the sound and features on board.

4.5/5

Buy them if…

You prefer a more open-style earbud
What makes the Live Flex 4 stand out from their siblings is their open-style design. Their more relaxed, low-key fit is ideal for anyone who dislikes the sensation of earbuds that require a proper in-ear seal, which can become irritating for some listeners after a while.

You’re enticed by the smart charging case
If you’re intrigued by the Flex 4’s interactive, touchscreen-fitted charging case, then I’ve got good news: it works really well. Sure, it’s a bit gimmicky, and you can perform all of the functions it provides (and more) with the JBL Headphones app, but it’s a convenient option if you have your source device in a bag, or want ultra-quick access to settings.

Don’t buy them if…

Premium sound is a must for you
While the Flex 4 sound good for a pair of open-fit earbuds, their design architecture is inherently limiting as far as audio fidelity goes. Their siblings, the Live Beam 4 and Live Buds 4, provide a proper in-ear seal, allowing them to deliver a bit more low-end thump and detail.

You want amazing noise cancelling
While I actually think that the Live Flex 4 perform well in the ANC department — especially considering that they’re open-style earbuds — they’re still not going to give you that layer of the silence that proper in-ear models can give you. Of course, if you want the best of the best in the noise-crushing world, then it's worth checking out the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds Gen 2.

JBL Live Flex 4 review: also consider

JBL Live Flex 4

AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging

Huawei Freebuds Pro 5

Price

£179.99 (about $240 / AU$340)

$149 / £149 / AU$219

£179.99 (about $240 / AU$340)

Drivers

12mm dynamic

High-excursion dynamic

11mm dynamic woofer and micro-planar tweeter

Active noise cancellation

Yes

Yes

Yes

Battery life

7 hours (buds, with ANC on); 10 hours (buds, with ANC off); up to 48 hours (with charging case)

5 hours (buds, with ANC on); (buds, with ANC off); 22 hours (with charging case)

6 hours (buds, with ANC on); 9 hours (buds, with ANC off); up to 38 hours (with charging case)

Weight

4.8g (per bud)

4.3g (per bud)

5.5g (per bud)

Connectivity

Bluetooth 6.0

Bluetooth 5.3

Bluetooth 6.0

Frequency range

20Hz-40kHz

Not stated

10Hz-48kHz

Waterproofing

IP54

IP57

IP57 (buds); IP54 (case)

AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging
Could there be a clearer competitor for the Live Flex 4? The AirPoids 5 with Wireless Charging take up an open-fit design but pair it with noise-cancelling capabilities, and are also priced very similarly to their JBL rival, albeit a little cheaper. If you’ve got an Apple device, these are bound to be a strong option, with impressive sound quality, solid ANC, and gorgeous looks — though Android users may find them to be limited, features-wise, and they leave a lot to be desired when it comes to battery life. While our AirPods 5 reviews are still in progress, you can read our full AirPods 4 with ANC review (and look for discounts on the older model).

Huawei Freebuds Pro 5
OK, these are a little different, as they provide an actual seal — more like the JBL Live Beam 4. But if that’s all good with you, then the Huawei Freebuds Pro 5 are certainly worth checking out. We awarded them the elusive five-star rating, thanks to their impeccable noise cancelling, ultra-comfortable fit, and broad set of features — oh, and they sound pretty good as well. Read our full Huawei Freebuds Pro 5 review.

How I tested the JBL Live Flex 4

(Image credit: Future)

• Spent two weeks testing
• Used in the office and while out and about
• Mainly streamed music over Tidal

I spent two weeks testing the JBL Live Flex 4, testing them out at home, in an office environment, and while out on walks. This enabled me to get a strong grasp of their ANC capabilities, and understand what it’s like to live with them over a sustained period.

When listening to music, I typically streamed tracks over Tidal on my Xiaomi 17 phone, which supports LDAC, enabling me to get the highest quality listen out of the Flex 4 that I could. As always, I sifted through the TechRadar reference playlist to begin with, but I also bumped a bunch of tracks from my personal library.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing audio gear here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve put all sorts of audio tech to the test, be that premium wireless headphones like the Sony 1000X The Collexion or party speakers such as the Marshall Bromley 450. I’ve also reviewed a wide range of earbuds, including open-ear models like the Anker Soundcore AeroClip and the Edifier LolliClip.

• Read TechRadar’s reviews guarantee
• First reviewed: September 2026

Since the Oculus Quest 2, the VR industry has been chasing a high point that seems impossible to re-summit — let alone surpass. I mean, how can you compete with popularity propelled by global pandemic-caused lockdowns and ultra-low costs when people are no longer trapped in their homes and facing down RAM-crisis-fuelled tech price hikes?

You can’t. But the Meta VR Glasses give me hope that'll change, that VR is on an upward swing again.

The Meta Quest 3 tried its best, but improved specs, full-color mixed reality, and incredible exclusives like Batman: Arkham Shadow and Marvel’s Deadpool VR seemingly weren’t enough of a draw for people. I loved the system, but checking the most recent (August 2026) Steam Hardware Survey (which should include the most dedicated, most likely to upgrade players, as the Quest systems aren’t native PCVR headsets), the Quest 2 still narrowly tops the list despite being pulled from shelves over two years ago and being replaced close to three years ago by the Quest 3.

The Apple Vision Pro was much hyped before launch, but it seemingly had even less staying power than the Quest 3 thanks to its extremely high price. Samsung’s Galaxy XR headset, as much as I like it, is a gadget I wouldn’t be surprised if even most techie people didn’t know it existed.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Boumen Japet)

You could do a whole analytical breakdown on why each device struggled to hit the mark, but as I see it, there’s one key issue: value.

The Quest 2 was incredible value. At £299 / $299 / AU$479 it’s approaching tech impulse-buy territory. You can grab it on a whim and be fairly confident you’ll get enough use out of it to justify the price whether you’re stuck inside because of Covid-19 or not — even just as a novelty you only get out on occasion, or to see your nan get wowed by some simple demo app.

At $499.99 / £479.99 / AU$799.99 (its original launch price), the Meta Quest 3 is instantly a much harder value proposition to justify. For a start, you need to spend a lot more time using the Quest 3 before it becomes ‘worth it.’ But for gamers, the headset costs as much as a PS5 disc edition — or a digital-only PS5 plus a game or two — and even as a VR enjoyer, it’s easy to understand why people would favour the Sony console and its incredible performance and game catalogue to fill their time.

It’s also still a bit too bulky to wear all day every day for productivity tasks — something Meta was ironing out at the time on the software side too. Big screen entertainment wasn’t ideal either — the Quest 3 lacked many streaming services, and the few it did have often relied on terrible apps that were terrible to use and didn’t support high-quality streams.

(Image credit: Meta)

The Vision Pro and Samsung Galaxy XR headset solved some of these issues, but they didn’t address headset bulk — the Apple Vision Pro actually weighs a good chunk more than a Quest 3 or Quest 2 — and they’re also a lot more expensive (costing $3,499 / £3,199 / AU$5,999 and $1,799 / £1,699 respectively).

To get your money’s worth, you’d ideally use these headsets every day to help maximise your productivity across app windows, and to kick back with some entertainment most evenings — or at least fairly regularly. But as someone who tried doing this for a week with the Galaxy XR (the lighter of the two), it’s simply not a comfortable enough experience — my neck wanted to give up after a day and a half.

They’re both great for using from time to time, but they cost far too much to be something you wear infrequently.

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)Emerging from the ashes

The Meta VR Glasses, however, hit the nail on the head in (almost) every regard. At only around 3.52oz /100g, they are a device you can easily wear for hours, and Meta has finally improved its entertainment and productivity software support.

The only notable negative aspect is the price. $1,299 (pricing TBC in other regions) is cheaper than its current rivals, but still four times more expensive than the Oculus Quest 2. With its weight, I can definitely see myself wearing this headset often enough to make that price justified, but for less VR-forward folks it might not seem that way — especially after our recent flops.

I hope they can give it a try, however, as I fell in love with the Meta VR Glasses instantly, and I expect plenty more fans will materialize once they launch in 2027.

(Image credit: Meta)

Hardware aside, I’m also simply glad to see the return of VR as a descriptor.

I get that technically the VR Glasses are a mixed reality device, but MR never really took off as a descriptor (it’s quite similar to the shortening of mister, Mr), and I don’t love XR — it’s too generic to really mean anything because it includes AR, VR, MR, and all different ways these technologies can manifest.

VR headsets are a known quantity, and the VR Glasses do feel like the spiritual successor to the Quest headsets Meta and Oculus pioneered. It’s a small thing, but I like that VR has returned — rising from the ashes in a manner that feels appropriate for the Project Phoenix device.

(Image credit: Meta)Rebuilding what it broke?

The elephant in the room for many will be that Meta contributed somewhat to the sense of doom and gloom in VR after it made sweeping cuts through its Reality Labs teams and first-party development studios — canning projects in the process.

We’ve also seen third-party VR studios close or downsize since Meta’s announcement as it becomes clear VR isn't in quite the boom period it once was. Showcasing Meta's situation was merely part of a bigger trend of VR struggles, rather than an isolated case of awfulness.

(Image credit: Future)

It’s clear that VR has been generally struggling, but I’m hopeful the VR Glasses, in conjunction with Xreal Aura (which ticks a lot of the same boxes) and other future headsets / glasses, will help to bring excitement, accessibility, and users back to VR.

We’ll have to wait and see, but I think the future of VR is looking a little brighter again.

The brand-new Apple Watch Series 12 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 are reportedly the most accurate heart rate-tracking smartwatches on the market and the best Apple Watches yet, largely thanks to the wearables' new Health Sensing System. A redesigned LED sensor array, the Health Sensing System is said to be more accurate than ever before, measuring active and resting heart rates up to 60 times more often than previous generations.

Considering all my tests with the Apple Watch Ultra 3 had it cleaving remarkably close to an electrical heart rate monitor, I was ready to believe Apple's accuracy claims were true.

Barely an hour after I got my Apple Watch Series 12 review unit from Apple, I hit the gym and gave the smartwatch its first test drive. While I didn't have my heart rate monitor available, I did have the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro, so I strapped it onto the other wrist and tracked the same workout on both wearables.

The Garmin Fenix 9 Pro is a five-star watch, an expensive do-it-all device that's stuffed with features and boasts highly advanced health tracking credentials. It uses Garmin's Elevate V5 heart rate sensor, which previously fell within around 5 bpm (in terms of average heart rate) of an Apple Watch Ultra 3 during previous tests with a Garmin Venu 4. Hardly a significant margin of error for most people, and enough to give a good impression of your general fitness.

I was also interested in other statistics, like calorie counts, and how alike the two wearables' readings would be to each other.

The resultsApple Watch Series 12FutureGarmin Fenix 9 ProFuture

During my 40-minute strength session, my average heart rate was 125 bpm, according to Apple. According to Garmin, it was 132 bpm: a seven-point difference between the two wearables.

It's slightly outside my 5 bpm threshold for insignificant differences, but only just. My theory is that as I wear each watch more, their algorithms will tighten up, and I'll see closer results. It will be very interesting to compare both to an electrical Polar H10 heart rate monitor.

However, the difference in calorie expenditure was more worrying. Garmin recorded a calorie expenditure of 340 kcal — meanwhile, Apple recorded 242 kcal as my total expenditure for the session. This 88 kcal difference is equivalent to one smallish apple, or a couple of spoonfuls of your average Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

Calorie expenditure on a smartwatch isn't an exact science. One research paper published this year in the journal PLOs One said that 'proprietary differences in device algorithms and sensor design introduce another layer of variability, with comparative studies reporting an error of more than 20% in [energy expenditure] across widely used models.' So we should expect some deviations between watches, based on differences in algorithm, and it shouldn't matter so long as measurements on that device are consistent.

However, an 88 kcal difference is over that 20% margin for error, which is very interesting. Stay tuned: I'll be testing the Apple Watch Series 12 further, over longer workouts and against different wearables, to determine whether its accuracy claims hold water.

Nvidia made waves earlier this year when it announced the Nvidia RTX Spark, a new ARM-based SoC for small form factor PCs and laptops, and no one should be more concerned than Apple.

The Cupertino tech giant has enjoyed a very strong position when it comes to laptop sales for a while now thanks to its own ARM-based silicon, the Apple M-series.

With the refreshed Mac mini now on sale with the new Apple M6 chip, there’s going to be a lot of interest from creatives and developers around these two platforms, so I’m here to break down everything you need to know about the Nvidia RTX Spark vs Apple M6.

(Image credit: Getty Images)NVIDIA RTX SPARK VS APPLE M6: PRICE & AVAILABILITY

Neither SoC from either company is available on its own, so how much you pay will be entirely dependent on the PC or laptop it comes in, with things like memory and storage upgrades playing an outsized role in the final price.

The Apple M6 is only available in the new Mac mini (2026) for now, and it starts at $899/£899/AU$1,449 for the 16GB/256GB model. Adding more memory and storage will cost you extra, with the highest-spec M6 Mac mini featuring 24GB of unified memory for an extra $200/£200/AU$300, and an upgrade to 32GB for an extra $380/£400/AU$600.

Upgrading to 512GB SSD storage will add $200/£200/AU$300 to the price, while 1TB and 2TB will add $500/£500/AU$750 and $1,000/£1,000/AU$1,500 to the price, respectively.

Meanwhile, Nvidia is relying on its third-party partners to produce the PCs and laptops that will feature the Nvidia RTX Spark, so the prices will vary greatly among manufacturers, as well as which RTX Spark N1X core configuration is used (there will be an 18 CPU-core/5,120 CUDA-core entry configuration, and a more powerful 20 CPU-core/6,144 CUDA-core configuration).

While many units have been announced from Dell, Acer, and others, there's been no firm pricing yet, and much like the Mac mini, the amount of RAM the PC or laptop is configured with is going to have a major impact on its price. The first Nvidia RTX Spark devices are expected to go on sale in October, and some early indicators put the starting price of RTX Spark laptops and mini PCs at around $2,000/£2,000/AU$3,000.

• Advantage: Apple M6

(Image credit: Apple )NVIDIA RTX SPARK VS APPLE M6: SPECS

Fortunately, when it comes to specs, we know just about everything between these two SoCs, so we can do a proper side-by-side comparison of the Nvidia RTX Spark vs Apple M6.

Nvidia RTX Spark N1X (Entry)

Nvidia RTX Spark N1X (Premium)

Apple M6

Process Technology

TSMC 3nm

TSMC 3nm

TSMC 2nm

CPU Cores

18

20

12

Max CPU Clock (GHz)

3.90

4.00

4.79

GPU Cores

40

48

12

AI Cores

160

192

32

Maximum Memory

128GB

128GB

32GB

Memory Type

Unified LPDDR5X

Unified LPDDR5X

Unified LPDDR5X

Memory Bandwidth

273.2 GB/s

273.2 GB/s

170GB/s

AI Performance (TOPS)

1,000 (FP4)

1,000 (FP4)

132 (FP16)

As you can see above, Nvidia RTX Spark has a lot of hardware advantages versus the Apple M6. With nearly twice as many CPU cores on the premium configuration, almost four times the maximum memory headroom, and larger memory bandwidth, the Nvidia RTX Spark chips start out well ahead of the Apple M6 when it comes to specs—and that’s before we discuss the RTX Blackwell GPU.

Apple does have an advantage when it comes to maximum clock frequency, however, running nearly 800MHz faster than the best Nvidia chip. Will it be enough though? That remains to be seen.

• Advantage: Nvidia RTX Spark

(Image credit: Future)NVIDIA RTX SPARK VS APPLE M6: PERFORMANCE

So far, I’ve only been able to benchmark the Apple M6 myself, as the new Mac mini went on sale on September 22, so there’s not a whole lot I can say definitively about the Nvidia RTX Spark vs Apple M6 when it comes to performance, but we’re not entirely in the dark here.

The RTX Spark N1X is essentially the Nvidia DGX Spark SoC, though it is running at a lower wattage for laptops (45W to 80W TDP, roughly, compared to the desktop DGX Spark’s 140W TDP). For RTX Spark desktops and mini PCs, I expect the TDP for the N1X to come close to or match the GDX’s 140W TDP.

Since we do know a lot about the performance of the GDX Spark across various workloads, we can expect the RTX Spark N1X to perform similarly, at least in small form factor PCs. What’s more, we also have some leaked benchmarks for the two RTX Spark N1X SKUs from Geekbench 7.

Nvidia RTX Spark N1X (Entry)

Nvidia RTX Spark N1X (Premium)

Apple M6

Geekbench 7 Single-Core

2,541

2,570

4,018

Geekbench 7 Multi-Core

21,776

23,126

22,197

3DMark Steel Nomad

~2,750

~3,750

1,475

3DMark Solar Bay

~53,200

~76,000

31,513

Note: RTX Spark N1X 3DMark scores estimated from RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti laptop GPU benchmark results

As you can see, the Nvidia RTX Spark chips handle themselves very well against the Apple M6 in terms of GPU performance, though I need to caveat those results since they are approximations based on the listed core counts for the two SoCs’ GPUs. We don’t have benchmarks for these chips yet in 3DMark, but the GPU is built on the same architecture as Nvidia RTX 50 series laptop GPUs, and so we can ballpark where the N1X’s GPU is likely to end up given the number of CUDA cores they have available.

It’s also worth noting that the Nvidia RTX Spark’s multi-core performance definitely benefits from the increased core count over the Apple M6. However, the Apple M6 has a substantially better single-core performance, clocking in about 56% faster than the premium 20-core Nvidia chip.

This is going to translate to substantially better in-app performance for things like Adobe Photoshop and will help with agentic AI when an agent is processing a prompt or reasoning out a response, as these are inherently single-core dependent.

(Image credit: Nvidia)

However, agentic AIs rarely work alone without some assistance from sub-agents, sandboxes, and other concurrently operating tools, which is where the multi-core performance of the Nvidia RTX Spark will definitely come in handy.

Of course, it also goes without saying that Nvidia’s distinct advantage over Apple when it comes to AI hardware thanks to native CUDA processing can’t be understated. Apple’s M6 might perform very well, but it will not be able to keep up with an Nvidia GPU that has up to 128GB of available memory.

And for gaming, well, Apple has really struggled to break Window’s stranglehold on PC gaming, and the Apple M6 doesn’t change that in the slightest, giving the Nvidia RTX Spark the edge there almost by default.

• Advantage: Nvidia RTX Spark

NVIDIA RTX SPARK VS APPLE M6: EARLY VERDICT

It remains to be seen how well the two Nvidia RTX Spark chips fare in real world testing, but early signs are very promising for Nvidia’s first SoC for the consumer market.

Apple isn’t out for the count just yet, either, and it will still hold the edge on price since the Nvidia RTX Spark is going to need a lot of very expensive RAM to process those 170B parameter models.

If you’re a more mainstream user who is just looking for a great PC for productivity, school work, and the like, the Apple M6 is the platform to go for.

Nvidia’s RTX Spark appears to be far more of a professional product with some gaming bolted onto the side, and it will surely have a price to match, so you only really need to consider the Nvidia RTX Spark if you can tell the difference between inference and model training. If you have to look those terms up, the RTX Spark isn’t really for you, but if those two are exactly what you plan on doing with your next device, you really can’t do any better than the Nvidia RTX Spark - as long as devices that include it are reasonably priced.

About Power On...

Nowadays, everyone has an opinion they want to share with the world — and TechRadar senior entertainment reporter Tom Power is no different. That's why he created Power On..., aka a collection of articles that allow him to give his verdict on the industry's biggest stories, things that grind his gears, and more besides. For more pieces like this, check out the full series here.

It's that time of year again — and the world's best streaming services are up to their usual tricks.

Indeed, with fall (or spring, if you live south of the equator) upon us once more, the entertainment giants of the world are ready to demand more of your hard-earned money by jacking up the prices of their various streaming-platform plans.

So far, four of the world's leading streamers have passed increased costs onto consumers, with three doing so in the US — and they're only getting more brazen with when they announce these price hikes and how much they're now charging.

Just look at Apple TV raising its monthly and annual fees by $2 and $20 respectively in late August. Then there's the 2026 Disney+ and Hulu price rise, which came into effect a whole month earlier (September 23) than in 2025 (October 21), and now asks new and returning users to pay an extra $0.50 to $3 per month for the plan they want to sign up for. And don't get me started on Netflix's recent UK price hike, which saw its cheap, ads-based plan rise by an eye-watering 34%...

Disney+ and its sister streamer Hulu are more expensive than ever before in 2026 (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Admittedly, Disney has frozen the price on three of its streaming bundles, including its cheapest ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu bundle. While that's worth applauding, especially for those on a budget, it's scant consolation for anyone subscribed to one of the House of Mouse's more expensive, ad-free, standalone plans or bundles.

Those higher fees will be an even more bitter pill to swallow amid Disney's claims that they're necessary to improve the user experience on their streaming platforms. Try telling that to Disney+'s worldwide user base, which was left fuming over reports — ones that have since been proved false — that Disney+ would soon show ads on its ad-free plans, and UK and European users after they temporarily lost 4K and HDR support on Disney+ in late July.

Netflix, Disney, and Apple are far from the only culprits, mind you.

Rival streamers including Prime Video and HBO Max have also bumped up the price of their plans in recent years. At the time of this article's publication, there's no word on when they or other subscription video on demand (SVOD) platforms will announce their latest — and inevitable — annual price increases. Mark my words, though: it's coming.

Netflix only raised its US subscription prices in March, but is another increase on the way? (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Predictably, all of this begs an obvious question: how long will we continue to put up with these now-yearly price hikes?

If you listen to some users on myriad social media platforms, the straw has already broken the camel's back. Dive into any Reddit thread, or search for terms like 'Netflix price hike' on X/Twitter or the ResetEra forums, and you'll find numerous examples of people who have already voted with their bank cards and canceled their subscriptions.

Unfortunately, the number of users who have closed their accounts is a mere drop in the ocean for the globe's entertainment titans. With a reported 260 million subscribers worldwide, Netflix simply doesn't care if a handful of paying patrons walk away because it doesn't even dent their bottom line.

That said, the tide may be turning. Per Yahoo Finance, Netflix's stock has recently taken an almighty beating. The reason? A change in viewing habits that's seen people flock to YouTube and TikTok to watch more short-form video content. Add to the mix the constant cancellation of fan-favorite shows, less unmissable content worth streaming, and certain features being locked behind expensive tiers, and why would people pay for Netflix, Disney+, and company when they can get visual content for free elsewhere?

Is that enough to make the world's leading streamers sit up and take notice? Probably not. In my view, the only way Netflix, Paramount+, Peacock, or any other SVOD service will listen is if tens of millions of users suddenly and collectively ended their subscriptions — and, frankly, that's almost never going to happen.

However, if people really want a sea change in the industry from a subscription cost standpoint, a major user revolution is required. Until we collectively say "enough is enough" and hit these companies where it hurts (i.e., their income streams), the streaming service spending scam will continue — and the price hike bubble will never, ever burst.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2: key information

- Season 2 was renewed halfway through season 1 airing
- Core cast expected to return
- Storyline remains unknown, creators confirm there's still 'no big picture' for the show

There's meta, and then there's Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.

We've been following awkward comic book owner Stuart (Kevin Sussman), who accidentally triggered a multiverse Armageddon after breaking a device supposedly built by Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki).

Did we see the latter two appear in any of season 1's 10 episodes? No. Does the fact that many of The Big Bang Theory cameos and a season 2 renewal mean we should hold out hope for the future? Absolutely.

However, absolutely nothing is guaranteed in this HBO Max show. Given that the core concept shifts between universes, creators Chuck Lorre, Zak Penn, and Bill Prady could come up with literally anything they wanted, and it makes canonical sense.

This leaves us with the biggest TV guessing game of all, so let's try and work out what Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2 will look like together.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2 release window predictions

(Image credit: HBO Max)

We've currently got no idea when season 2 could start production or be released, but we do know that episodes are pretty quick to film. If you think of production in sitcom format, episodes could be turned around as soon as six months' time.

However, my best guess would be that we'll likely see new episodes in summer 2027. Chuck Lorre is a busy man with a lot of plates spinning, after all.

“We’re delighted with how this hilarious, genre-bending show from Chuck, Zak, and Bill has connected with the audience, both devotees of The Big Bang Theory and new fans alike,” Amy Gravitt, Head of HBO & HBO Max Comedy Series, said when the renewal was announced in August.

“Along with everyone else, we can’t wait to see the worlds they conjure for these beloved characters next season.”

Writing has begun for new episodes, though, so stay tuned.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2 trailer: is there one?

Don't be silly. It took us until the end of June 2026 to get one for season 1, so expect the first full trailer to arrive around two weeks before the second season does.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2 cast

Michelle Pfeiffer leads our new cast. (Image credit: HBO Max)

We can expect the below awesome foursome to return for Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2:

• Kevin Sussman as Stuart Bloom
• Lauren Lapkus as Denise
• Brian Posehn as Bert Kibbler
• John Ross Bowie as Barry Kripke

Obviously, season 1 had a lot of surprise cameos, meaning any of the below could also be eligible to return in an unspecified alternate form:

• Kunal Nayyar as Alternate Raj
• Wil Wheaton as Alternate Wil Wheaton
• Mayim Bialik as Alternate Amy Farrah Fowler
• Kaley Cuoco as Alternate Penny
• Melissa Rauch as Alternate Bernadette
• Christine Baranski as Herself
• Riki Lindhome as Ramona Nowitzki

We can also expect new cast members to be announced, though we likely won't find out who until closer to the show's release... and given how many surprises there were in season 1, possibly not even until episodes air.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe season 2 plot predictions

(Image credit: HBO Max)

For once in my life, I've got no idea what to put here. Obviously, the core concept of Stuart, Denise, Kripke, and Bert landing in a different universe in each episode will stay firm, but what that will look like is anybody's guess at this stage.

While writing for new episodes is underway, there's still no big master plan for the future. "It would be great if I had the big picture," Lorre told TechRadar shortly before season 1 was released. "Wouldn't that be swell? I don't. There's no big picture. This is just chasing what seems to be fun to do... the big picture would require a bigger person."

Penn added, "We purposefully wrote ourselves into corners. We like doing that and then saying, 'How are we going to get out of this?' That was definitely part of the design of how the team writes and how they wanted to approach it. It makes it more fun not really knowing where we were going to be and how we were going to get there.

"Eventually, we figured some stuff out and came up with an ending. But [the show] was never designed to be 'Oh, we know where all of this is going.'"

For now, I'm continuing on with the perhaps-delusional belief that I could find myself in the season 2 writers' room within a matter of months. So, I pitched the team two ideas for future storylines.

The first is addressing the really big picture: use Stuart Fails to Save the Universe to address the existing problem of George Cooper being dead, and bring him back to life through an alternate universe. That way, Young Sheldon fans get the ending they really wanted.

"We'll definitely keep your ideas in mind," Penn says. "There are an infinite number of universes within this universe, so the universe that you're looking for is going to exist by definition. Whether it makes it to TV is another question."

So far, so good. But I hammer this home with another idea: explore the episode 2 universe that reveals film and TV's Christine Baranski is an AI overlord.

Bill Prady responds, "We'll have to see how the rebellion goes and what happens afterwards. What do they do to her afterwards?"

"She'd be tried," Lorre agrees. "Well, there we go — there's something we can do if we get a second season."

Normally we get to this time of year and the typical advice is to hold fire on any potential tech purchases. This is because Black Friday is just a couple of months away, and so it always seems prudent to think about being patient, and the bargain you might just secure in the biggest tech sale of the year.

Not this year, though, when it comes to GPUs – at least in my opinion.

During Black Friday 2025, we did see some decent deals on graphics cards. Not many, mind, but there was a scattering of them. I've noticed on Reddit that there are some gamers who have found a GPU with a decent price tag, but they're wondering whether to hold off and wait for something better on Black Friday. They are perhaps remembering some of the discounts that happened last year (thin on the ground as they were).

For example, this US-based Redditor asks: "Buy an open box [Nvidia RTX] 5070 now or wait until Black Friday?" They add: "I see a few open box deals for $745. What do people think about snagging this now at such an inflated price, or waiting until Black Friday to try and snag under $700?"

If you're in a similar quandary, my advice is this: absolutely do not wait for Black Friday. Just buy that graphics card now.

Let's break down the reasons why this isn't a 'waiters' market (by which I mean those biding their time, not the lovely people who serve us food and drinks).

Reasons to be fearful

(Image credit: Shutterstock / LightField Studios)

For starters, as a legion of cynical Redditors are quick to point out, Black Friday isn't the best for graphics card deals anyway – it has never been the strongest suit for this sale in terms of PC components.

As noted, there have been bargains in the past though. Despite those Redditors who insist that GPUs just have their prices quietly upped in October so they can be artificially 'discounted' for Black Friday, there are actually some genuinely decent deals – or there have been.

However, things have just gone crazy this year, and as the second half of 2026 has rolled around, the RAM crisis has reached another tiring peak of frenzied hiking.

There were more rumors of imminent GPU hikes just a couple of weeks ago (following last month's negative chatter), and at retailers in the US we've already seen graphics card prices rising considerably over the past month. Compounding this are even more negative predictions about the memory shortage in general – which inevitably affects video RAM as well as system memory – and DDR5 prices which are spiking in a ridiculous manner right now. So you've got a recipe for a tumultuous rest of the year.

In short, I can't see 2026 panning out any other way than seeing more GPU price increases – so why wouldn't you buy now? At least from the perspective of whether Black Friday might somehow bring some bargains around – it surely won't.

I'm pretty convinced of that, and there are nuances here in terms of what kind of graphics card you're looking to buy. I'm talking about mainstream GPUs, the mid-range or lower tiers of the market, and not the higher-end graphics cards.

The beefiest GPUs like Nvidia's RTX 5080 (don't even mention the RTX 5090) are already exceptionally pricey, and while I don't think they'll get any cheaper – and indeed I reckon they'll probably still creep up in price – the cost of those products is already a very bitter pill to swallow.

I don't blame you if you don't want to pay out that much cash for a graphics card, because over $1,500 for an RTX 5080 (in the US) is a pricing nightmare. But you'll have to accept that you'll likely be in for a long wait for better prices, maybe not until 2028. A compromise might be to buy a card like an RTX 5070 to tide you over, or maybe an AMD RX 9070 XT (it's a touch less expensive in the US at the time of writing), then sell that second-hand later on when the RTX 5080 comes down.

The trouble is, there are no good options here... not for the pricier GPUs anyway.

Red Friday

(Image credit: Getty Images, Cavan Images)

I think that this year, Black Friday should be renamed Red Friday for its Herring-like nature, at least when it comes to graphics cards. Don't be swayed by the temptation of waiting for a deal, and if you see a reasonable price on the GPU you're considering, grab it now.

A $750 (open box) deal on an RTX 5070, the dilemma of the aforementioned Redditor, seems a sound enough proposition, even though that's a depressing reality considering this GPU was still going for around $650 just two months ago – because you're now looking at $850 or so (going by Newegg US pricing).

You can pick up an RTX 5060 Ti 8GB for only 10% more than this GPU was priced at in June (again, going by Newegg US), and I think there's an even stronger case to snag something like this if you're looking at the more affordable end of the market.

Obviously, do your own research based on the regional pricing for the GPU you're thinking about, but whatever the case, I'd still urge you not to be fooled into waiting for Black Friday, as I really think that'd be a mistake.

President Donald Trump mused openly before the United Nations about whether he should annihilate Iran. It's a stark contrast to how his predecessors have spoken about wielding US military power.

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Northeast states saw rising tides and widespread power outages on Saturday as the storm ripped through the region. Forecasters expect significant winds and rain throughout the weekend.

(Image credit: Robert F. Bukaty)

Thousands of people are without power across the East Coast as a nor'easter rips through the area. Forecasters expect significant winds and rain throughout the weekend.

(Image credit: Robert F. Bukaty)

In mid-September, Fiji's government declared a national emergency because of a startling rise in HIV infections. The country's crystal meth epidemic is a strong contributing factor.

(Image credit: Ian Cheibub for NPR)

September brought with it an avalanche of new tech. Between Apple's Surprise and shine, Meta Connect, IFA and Dyson Unveiled, we were inundated with gadget announcements. If you've managed to keep up with it all, well done to you. But for anyone seeking a recap, you've come to the right place.

Below, I've rounded up all the hottest gadget announcements from September, ready for you to browse. You'll find the most exciting of the Apple announcements, headed up by the brand's long-awaited first foldable phone. There's also Meta's camera-free smart specs, which may or may not have been created in response to the unwelcome 'pervert specs' moniker that's been circulating of late. Dyson's first ever toothbrush is there, too, in all it's wildly over-engineered glory. And that's just the start of it.

For the products that pique your interest, you can hit the View details button for a summary of each one, plus links to our news articles where you can learn more.

September gadget guide

Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses

What is it? A camera-free pair of smart specs for those concerned about being mistaken for a pervert

Availability: On sale from 13 Oct 2026

Price: $349 / £319 / AU$529

Read more: The Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses lose the cameras, but gain better battery life and Dolby Atmos

Apple iPhone Duo

What is it? The foldable phone debut we've been wait for — just with a different name to the one we were expecting

Availability: Preorder from 16 Oct, available from 23 Oct

Price: Starting at $1,999 / £1,999 / AU$3,499

Read more: I just touched the iPhone Duo and Apple just solved the foldable crease problem in the most wonderfully basic way

Dyson CameraJet

What is it? A camera-equipped, AI-powered, mouthwash-squirting toothbrush, and Dyson's entry into the oral care market

Availability: On sale now, but widely out of stock

Price: $499.99 / £419.99 / AU$799

Read more: 'What you have there is essentially a $70,000 piece of lab equipment in a handheld consumer product': Jake Dyson shares the design secrets of the brand's new mouthwash-squirting toothbrush

Dyson CameraJet review: This game-changing toothbrush offers liquid flossing, precision-brushing and a camera that doubles as a dental endoscope — I tried it for a week

Sonos Ace Ultra

What is it? The second-gen update of Sonos' over-ear headphones, with upgrades that iron out all the kinks of its first effort

Availability: Available now

Price: $449 / £399 / AU$699

Read more: I tested the Sonos Ace Ultra and they fix the one issue I had with the original model — so they’re easily among my favorite headphones of the year

Exclusive: Sonos CEO Tom Conrad explains why the new Sonos Ace Ultra headphones can achieve what fans wanted the first Ace to do

Pros

• Far more musical than the Ace
• Excellent Dolby Atmos for movies
• Fantastic feature-suite with enhanced ANC and detailed EQ options
• Stunning design; responsive controls

Cons

• Some rivals still offer more detail
• Case doesn’t mirror the headphones’ premium look and feel
• Not fully foldable

Meta VR Glasses

What is it? Meta taking another crack at VR wearables, with a pair of glasses headset that lets you extend your measly laptop display to up to three virtual monitors

Availability: Due Spring 2027

Price: $1,299 (price elsewhere TBC)

Read more: I’ve worn Meta’s VR Glasses and they’re coming to eat the Apple Vision Pro’s lunch for one big reason — they’re 1/6 the weight

Apple Watch Ultra 4

What is it? Apple's range-topping wearable, with a bunch of improvements but no flashy, headline upgrade

Availability: Available now

Price: From $799 / £749 / AU$1,349

Read more: I’ve spent a week with Apple Watch Ultra 4 – and it’s shaping up to be a serious endurance watch

Apple Watch Ultra 4 vs Apple Watch Ultra 3: what's changed, and should you upgrade?

Acer Googlebook 14

What is it? One of five new 'Googlebooks' — thin, lightweight, premium laptops designed to rival the MacBook Air and Windows 11-powered Ultrabooks

Availability: On sale from 5 October

Price: From $899 / £999 (around AU$1,899)

Read more: ‘Rethinking the laptop is a big undertaking’ — why Googlebooks are so much more than overpriced Chromebooks, and why Apple should be worried

Beats 360

What is it? Over-ear headphones with washable, swappable pads, perfect for sweaty audiophiles

Availability: Available now

Price: $349 / £299.95 / AU$499

Read more: Beats 360 are one of the most comfortable, best-sounding headphones I've ever worn and made Supergirl more watchable than it should be

Dyson R3 Nurovi Spot+Scrub UV

What is it? The flagship from Dyson's new Nurovi ('that is, 'Neural Intelligence technology' + 'Vision system') robot vacuums, with UV-powered spill-spotting skills

Availability: Available now in the US, on sale 'early 2027' in the UK and Australia

Price: $1,199, UK and AU TBC

Read more: 'It'll light up your home like a bowling alley' — Dyson's new Nurovi robot vacuum has a UV light to show up invisible spills, and I'm not sure I'm ready to see what's on my floors

Dyson Corrale CoolShine

What is it? A shrunk-down, corded version of Dyson's flexi-plate straightener, with cooling pipes to suck excess heat from hair as you style

Availability: On sale now in the US and UK, AU to follow in November

Price: $329 / £249.99 / AU$499

Read more: Dyson just revived its Corrale straightener — and by shrinking it down and adding an ingenious cooling attachment, it's turned it into a tool I'm actually excited about

Apple iPhone 18 Pro

What is it? Apple's new flagship iPhone, also available in large (Max), but with no base model to speak of yet

Availability: On sale now

Price: From $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,099

Read more: I spent a week with the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max — and they’re better in all the right places

iRobot Roomba Max 875 Combo

What is it? The new flagship Roomba robovac from a resuscitated iRobot, this time with heated mist for maximum cleaning clout

Availability: Available now in the US and UK

Price: $1,199.99 / £1,099 / AU TBC

Read more: The new flagship Roomba has a unique mopping feature for tackling dried-on dirt — and it might be the thing that restores iRobot to its former robovac glory

Google Pixel Watch 5

What is it? A competent (if not terribly exciting) update to Google's Pixel smartwatch line

Availability: On sale now

Price: From $399.99 / £369 / AU$649

Read more: Google Pixel Watch 5 review: Predictably competent, with new super-accurate GPS

Ninja Crispi DualZone Glass Countertop Air Fryer

What is it? An air fryer 'hat' that attaches to two glass containers, both of which can be used for cooking, serving and storing food, for minimal washing up

Availability: Available now in the US and UK

Price: $379.99 / £299.99

Read more: The Ninja Crispi air fryer is now twice as good, with a DualZone model that can cook two different foods at once

Xiaomi 18 Pro

What is it? Xiaomi's new phone with an extra, mini display on its rear panel — for anyone who's not ready to go full foldable

Availability: A 'global' launch is promised, but we don't expect that to include the US or Australia

Price: From ¥5,999 CNY (around $900 / £675 / AU$1,300)

Read more: I got hands-on with the Xiaomi 18 Pro — it looks like an iPhone 18 Pro, but with an extra screen and a potentially Samsung-beating Privacy Display

Apple Watch Series 12

What is it? The next-gen, 'mid-range' smartwatch from Apple, with a redesigned underside to deliver new health-sensing features

Availability: Available now

Price: $399 / £369 / AU$649

Read more: I’ve worn the Apple Watch Series 12 for a week — the biggest changes are underneath

Is it just me or are warnings that the AI bubble could burst soon getting even harder to ignore?

Over the past few years, investors have pumped extraordinary amounts of money into AI companies because they've been betting that the technology will eventually generate equally extraordinary returns.

However, there are now growing questions about whether those returns will arrive quickly enough (or ever) to justify all of that spending. For example, The Financial Times recently reported that OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, expects almost $280 billion in negative free cash flow through 2030.

That’s at the heart of what people mean when they talk about an "AI bubble". The argument is that investment, spending and some company valuations have whizzed way ahead of what the technology can actually earn right now.

This means that if investor confidence starts dropping, investment could dry up. Then AI companies could fail and the industry could be forced to spend much, much less.

However, a bubble bursting doesn't mean AI just disappears. But it does mean the way AI is funded and how it feels for us to use could change dramatically.

And that's where things get interesting for the millions of people who aren't investing in AI companies or building data centers, but simply use and rely on ChatGPT every day. So, if the AI bubble really does burst, what actually happens to ChatGPT — and to the people who use it?

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Tada Images)1. You'll see way more ads

This is our most concrete prediction and it’s already begun.

OpenAI says ChatGPT Ads reached a $1bn annualized revenue run rate in less than 200 days and now describes advertising as a key part of its business model.

Which is why it makes a lot sense that less funding would give OpenAI a clear incentive to generate more revenue from its enormous user base.

But ChatGPT could also try much harder to sell users things beyond ads. Think about it, people are already relying on chatbots to research products, plan holidays, choose software and make all sorts of buying decisions. That might mean referrals, sponsored experiences and even more integrated shopping.

2. The best things will increasingly cost you

One obvious possibility is higher subscription prices for the people and businesses who already pay for ChatGPT. But OpenAI could also try to convert more of its free users into paying users by putting more of its best features behind a subscription.

That might mean reserving the most capable models, agents, advanced research tools, integrations and the newest features all for paying users. Some of those could even be reserved for its most expensive tiers.

So rather than ChatGPT suddenly becoming much more expensive for everyone, you might increasingly find that the version you really want to use is the version you have to pay for.

3. Free ChatGPT gets stingier

Even the features that do remain free could become much more restricted. So instead of moving something behind that paid subscription entirely, OpenAI could simply give free users much less of it.

That might mean fewer messages with its more powerful models, smaller image and video generation allowances, more queues or tighter limits on other compute-heavy features.

These are things OpenAI might cut back on if funding becomes scarcer and there’s greater pressure to reduce the cost of serving its enormous free user base. All of this means that the free version of ChatGPT could still be useful but you might find yourself hitting its limits much more often.

4. Fewer moonshots and more boring monetization

During the boom, things have felt exciting. As if OpenAI has been constantly pushing the boundaries of what AI can do because the people working there have had seemingly limitless money and freedom.

But if the bubble bursts, it would make sense that product teams could face much greater pressure to focus less on the fun, innovative stuff and more on the new features and developments that’ll make more money. This would make expensive demos, experiments and speculative consumer features harder to justify.

Meanwhile, developments that drive subscriptions, enterprise contracts, advertising and features designed to sell you things would become the priority.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Runrun2 / Blossom Stock Studio)5. ChatGPT doesn't disappear but the industry could get much smaller

It's worth remembering that the dotcom crash didn't kill the internet. But it did wipe out companies and then challenge assumptions about how internet businesses could be funded.

Granted, the comparison here isn't perfect because today's biggest AI spenders include some of the richest and most profitable companies in the world. But an AI crash could do something similar.

Smaller AI companies, apps and startups could fail or be acquired by the bigger players. For ordinary users, that could mean fewer AI tools and options to choose from rather than AI disappearing altogether.

And then there’s all the stuff that’s already been built. Billions have been spent on chips, data centers and trained models. AI has also been embedded into countless products and businesses. So a crash doesn't suddenly undo all of that investment.

ChatGPT itself is also operating at an enormous scale. OpenAI says it now has more than one billion weekly active users. It also has several ways of making money, including subscriptions, advertising, enterprise customers and its API.

So this means that even if investors decide the AI boom has raced too far ahead of the money it can actually make, ChatGPT is unlikely to simply disappear. But the broader AI landscape around it could look very different.

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Who is Danny)A crash might feel surprisingly boring

Financial markets can move extremely quickly and headlines about them can sound very dramatic. But from a regular ChatGPT user's perspective, an AI crash might feel surprisingly gradual and even... boring.

There might not be one big, dramatic moment when everything changes. Instead, you could start noticing little things. You might hit your free limit more often or that cool new feature you want now requires a subscription. You're highly likely to see more ads, especially if you use it to research stuff you want to buy. And a smaller AI app you used shuts down or gets bought by a bigger company.

This could be the weirdest thing about an AI bubble bursting. For all the talk of crashes and trillions of dollars wasted, your experience of it could be quite mundane. ChatGPT would still be a big part of your life if you're a regular user but it would costs more, sell you more and give you way less for free.

This week was Meta Connect, with the social media and now AI-focused tech giant announcing a lot of new tech (mostly smart and VR glasses).

We also tried the new Beats headphones and got our first look at Google’s long-awaited answer to Apple’s MacBook.

To catch up on all of this, and more, scroll down to read the latest edition of our ICYMI roundup.

7. Disney+ hiked it prices

(Image credit: AFM Visuals / Shutterstock)

Another month, another streaming price hike. This time, it’s Disney+ and Hulu each getting a price increase in the US, by different amounts depending on the tier.

The good news, however, is that the price of the ad-supported bundle that includes both Disney+ and Hulu isn’t going up, and the same goes for the ad-supported triple bundle that includes those two plus ESPN. Premium bundles that are ad-free are going up, though.

Will the price rise in other territories too? Australia just had one, and there’s no announcement in the UK yet, but other sources say one is coming in October. It feels like there’s just no break from price rises these days…

• Read more: Disney argues it still offers value for money as it freezes the price on three of its streaming bundles

6. A GTA 6 Collection box was announced

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

This week, Rockstar Games announced the Grand Theft Auto VI: The Goodtime State – Vice City Collection. It costs £349 / $399, comes with exclusive merchandise, and will land on November 19 (the same day as the game's release).

Crucially, you don't get a copy of GTA VI in the bundle. You will, however, get a cute Macca the Gator figure, sunglasses, a crossbody bag, and plenty more goodies.

Only you can decide if it's worth the high asking price, and it certainly could be for a mega fan, though you may want to act fast if you want one, as we imagine GTA VI merch will sell out, especially as launch day approaches.

• Read more: GTA 6 gets a 'Vice City Collection' box set for super-fans

5. Beats launched comfortable headphones

(Image credit: Beats)

Beats finally announced its next-generation, entirely new over-ear headphones this week. The Beats 360 won't be replacing the Studio Pro – those are now more affordable, though – and they look distinctly different with a thinner, lighter build that is customizable.

Yes, there are four main colors for the Beats 360, but you can also buy 'performance knit' or 'ultra-plush' earcups and swap them out as you please. Since the Beats 360 are sweat- and water-resistant, you can go from a workout to the office by swapping earcups.

Audio quality is strong here too, thanks to a redesigned stack in each earcup, and you can expect over 30 hours of battery life with a listening mode enabled. And, true to other Beats products, a custom chip inside lets these work seamlessly with both iOS and Android.

• Read more: Beats 360 are one of the most comfortable, best-sounding headphones I've ever worn

4. Amazfit dropped a solar-powered smartwatch

(Image credit: Amazfit)

In a world where smartwatches share the same features and similar specs, it's always nice to see something innovative. In this instance, it's the Amazfit T-Rex line.

Solar charging isn't new, but this line brings it to an AMOLED watch for the first time with the T-Rex Dual Solar; as the name implies, it can charge from sunlight on both sides.

In normal conditions, the watch packs up to 25 days of battery life, extended up to 35 days in optimal solar conditions, and 41 hours of use in 'accurate GPS mode' which are some impressive stats. Unusually for Amazfit, it's also very expensive, priced at $649.99 in the US. Other regions' pricing is TBC, but that's around £500 / AU$900.

• Read more: Amazfit's new solar-powered AMOLED smartwatch aims to rival Garmin's legendary battery life

3. Google launched a MacBook rival

(Image credit: Future)

What do you get when you mix Android with Chrome OS? It’s a question we’ve pondered for years, but only recently did Google confirm it was working on systems featuring a new mashup platform: Googlebooks. The platform? It’s called GooglebooksOS, naturally.

Now, we have the products of that union: systems from Acer, Asus, Lenovo, Dell, and HP. On the outside, they’re indistinguishable from Windows systems, but we opened them all and found a very different platform that somehow mixes Android’s power with the approachability of ChromeOS. This means these systems have a real relationship with the Android phone in your hand, but are also perfectly capable of running apps on the desktop, just like a Mac or PC.

Oh, and these are priced like premium laptops, not Chromebooks.

• Read more: I tried Google's new answer to the MacBook that combines ChromeOS with Android

2. Meta Connect 2026 happened

(Image credit: Meta)

The annual Meta event kicked off this week, and we got a look at a suite of brand-new Meta AI wearables.

The Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 glasses were announced with slightly better specs than what came before and a higher price tag, though it seems many still see the camera glasses as creepy perv glasses.

Perhaps that’s why we also got Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses. They boast most of the same great tech, but have a longer battery life a more lightweight design and no cameras — so people can’t spy on you with these.

There was also a new Lisa (from BlackPink) collab design, and something very different: the Muse Charm. Essentially an AI Tamagotchi (at least in the design), the Charm lets you interact with your Muse AI agent, though we’ll have to wait and see if this is just another Rabbit R1 or the Humane AI Pin flop.

• Read more: Meta just announced an AI Tamagotchi — this is Muse Charm

1. Meta launched VR Glasses

(Image credit: Meta)

Meta didn’t just showcase Ray-Ban smart glasses at Connect this year; it also debuted a brand new VR headset — or we should say VR Glasses.

They boast an ultra-slim and lightweight design enabled by a puck that houses not only the battery but also all of the headset’s compute power. In practical terms, this means the headset itself is only around 100g, or one fifth the weight of a Meta Quest 3.

We’ve taken the headset for a whirl and been wildly impressed with the comfort of the design, its dazzling micro-OLED displays, and its overall performance for a respectable $1,299 price tag (other regions pricing TBC).

• Read more: I’ve worn Meta’s VR Glasses and they’re coming to eat the Apple Vision Pro’s lunch

Cory Doctorow worked with the Norwegian Consumer Council to launch a darkly funny, yet serious ad campaign to push back against Big Tech.