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A bold foray into an alternate universe crashes Logan against dysfunctional families, doomed love and antimutant violence, but its logic frays as the game goes on.

• A webcam and mirror replace human eyes during Radeon driver testing
• The laptop watches its own screen via a mirrored image
• Schroeder's setup targets AMD Radeon compatibility inside Omarchy Linux

Justin Schroeder, a Linux developer, built an unusual setup pairing an older Intel MacBook with a mirror and camera.

The setup uses the laptop's camera, a mirror, and its display to let the software inspect graphics changes without human checking during development.

This process was demonstrated while working on Omarchy, an open-source Linux distribution that is being adapted for Radeon graphics hardware.

A camera becomes the agent's eyes

The experiment turns the laptop's webcam into an unusual inspection tool by directing its view toward a mirror facing the display.

That reflected image gives the programming agent access to visual information about what happens after changes are made to graphics code.

Instead of relying entirely on textual output, the system can inspect visible rendering problems that appear directly on the laptop's screen.

Those problems can include distorted images, flickering displays, incorrect resolutions, or other changes that indicate graphics software is malfunctioning during testing.

The arrangement is unusual because the computer is effectively using its own camera to observe an image produced by itself.

Schroeder's demonstration concerns AMD Radeon support within Omarchy, where driver compatibility requires changes that can affect actual display output.

The camera and mirror therefore provide a physical feedback path between the software agent and the graphics hardware it is modifying during each test.

Schroeder said the agent could “see” the altered screen, giving its coding process information from direct visual feedback during testing.

Driver changes can be checked through the display

Conventional graphics driver work normally requires programmers to alter code, compile it, restart relevant services, and inspect results manually.

The experiment instead gives the AI programming agent a way to inspect the outcome after modifying, rebuilding, and testing its graphics driver code.

This means visual verification can occur directly on the physical machine rather than depending only on compiler messages or textual diagnostics.

For Radeon support, that distinction matters because successful compilation does not necessarily mean the resulting graphics output will appear correctly.

A driver may build successfully while producing visible artifacts, unstable rendering, incorrect display settings, or other problems during actual operation.

The demonstrated workflow allows the agent to identify those visual changes and use them when deciding what code requires further adjustment.

It also allows repeated testing without requiring a programmer to inspect every intermediate result produced during the graphics development cycle.

Schroeder's experiment therefore connects automated programming with direct observation of hardware output, although the available demonstration does not establish how reliably this scales.

The setup also does not show that the agent independently created an entire production-ready Radeon driver without direct human involvement.

Instead, it shows a development method where an AI system can modify driver code and receive visual information from the resulting display.

That distinction is important because driver development involves many functions that cannot be evaluated solely through what appears on one screen

• Huawei's new Kirin 9050 Pro is being called its "most powerful" all-Chinese chip tech giant has ever made
• Huawei is claiming a 55% density gain by 'folding' its chip in half and stacking it instead of shrinking the actual die
• The chip still uses US hardware and foreign technology to manufacture, including ASML scanners and pre-2022 Applied Materials and Lam Research equipment

Huawei has introduced the Kirin 9050 Pro, a mobile processor that it says is fully free of American technology.

The chip powers the Mate XT 2, the third device in the company's tri-fold line, which starts at 19,999 yuan (~$2,980), and went on sale in China on September 12 2026.

The South China Morning Post noted Huawei is reducing reliance on advanced foreign semiconductor equipment, and this might be what the state-backed AI and chip giant wanted to highlight above all else, even as it refused to mention sanctions anywhere in its own press materials.

An impressive SoC that continues to indicate a shrinking technological gap

Richard Yu, chairman of Huawei's consumer business group, said on stage that the Kirin 9050 Pro is the company's "most powerful Kirin chip ever" and, based on the performance figures, touts a 42% overall improvement over the last-gen Mate XTs' Kirin 9020.

At the chip level, it claims 24% higher peak single-core and 52% better multi-core throughput against the Kirin 9030 Pro, plus a 142% jump in graphics rendering. The nine-core LinxiCore CPU peaks at 3.1GHz, the Maleoon GPU adds hardware ray tracing, and the Da Vinci NPU runs a 30-billion-parameter mixture-of-experts model on device.

The performance figures alone aren't the only interesting thing about Huawei's new silicon offering; the Kirin 9050 Pro is the first commercial silicon built on LogicFolding, a technique Huawei semiconductor chief He Tingbo presented at IEEE ISCAS in Shanghai in May and expanded on in a signed paper.

Rather than shrinking transistors, LogicFolding splits logic across two active silicon layers bonded face to face, with roughly 50 million vertical interconnects at a pitch of about 1.5 micrometers. Because signals travel shorter distances, Huawei says it could lower operating voltage while raising density.

However, all of these figures (including performance) come directly from Huawei, with no independent verification or peer-reviewed studies. More interestingly, while the Kirin is considerably less dependent on US or Western tech, it doesn't remove it from the equation entirely, and you still have to look closely at the bill of materials for receipts.

Huawei did not announce a process node for the Kirin 9050 Pro, and that silence has been deafening in more ways than one. SemiAnalysis tore down the predecessor in June 2026 and found SMIC's third-generation 7nm process, N+3, reaching about 113 million transistors per square millimeter with no extreme ultraviolet lithography anywhere in the flow.

SMIC's process, however, still leverages ASML immersion scanners. Bloomberg reported in 2024 that SMIC built the earlier Kirin 9000s using equipment acquired from Applied Materials and Lam Research before the October 2022 export rules closed that door, and the same is still in play here.

Despite this, Huawei has come a long way since its phones were declared America-free seven years ago. A UBS and Fomalhaut Techno Solutions analysis seen by the Wall Street Journal in late 2019 found the Mate 30 Pro contained no American parts, and Huawei cybersecurity officer John Suffolk told the paper that "all of our 5G is now America-free." The Kirin 990 inside that phone, however, was fabricated by TSMC on an EUV node.

Huawei's approach, backed by the Chinese state, to essentially rid itself of US influence in the fabrication end of the spectrum remains more of an ongoing struggle than one which it has already achieved, even as it continues to push ahead in certain disciplines and erode a performance gap that industry players earlier thought would take years longer than it is now projected to.

• Ukraine’s navy has claimed victory over a Russian drone boat in the first recorded seaborne drone battle
• The exchange took place in the Black Sea
• Russia has yet to confirm that its craft was sunk by the Ukrainian Sargan-3000 closed

An unmanned Ukrainian naval vessel has destroyed a Russian drone boat in what is thought to be the first military exchange of its kind. The uncrewed vessels encountered each other in the Black Sea, with the Ukrainian Sargan-3000 destroying the enemy craft using its Protector RWS turret.

While described as a first, the claim has not yet been independently verified. Ukraine has not confirmed the date, time, or location of the engagement. In addition, Russia has so far declined to confirm whether the exchange took place, or that it lost a vessel.

The news, however, follows an increase in seaborne drone activity by Ukraine, and comes just a few months after launching the Sargan-3000 into service.

What is a Sargan-3000?

Introduced into active service in April 2026, the Sargan-3000 was described as a “multi-purpose platform” which suggests the craft can be easily modified to house weapons, sensors. The term typically indicates a design that can house mission-specific modules, and the Sargan-3000 seems to have been involved in a wide variety of missions since its commissioning.

Ukraine has expanded maritime drone operations within the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov during 2026, with 105 Russian vessels known to have been attacked in the Sea of Azov. The Sargan-3000 has been described as “highly maneuverable”, but its physical characteristics are currently unknown.

We do know, however, that it can carry a Protector RWS, itself a modular system capable of mounting various weapons systems: machine guns, grenade launchers, and anti-tank missiles.

A remote-controlled 12.7mm machine gun turret (possibly an M2 Browning, or an NSV) was used in the encounter with the Russian vessel.

Drone engagements

Ukraine has other unmanned sea vessels at its disposal. While the Sargan-3000 is under the Ukrainian navy, a craft called Sea Baby is used by the Security Service of Ukraine. This 6 meter long boat is believed to have a 1,000 km range, and can carry a payload of around 850 kg. It is believed to be used primarily against moored (anchored) targets, which suggests it can be deployed pretty quickly.

The Magura V5, meanwhile, is under the Defence Intelligence group. This is a shorter craft with a lighter payload and cannot manage the same range as the Sea Baby, but has a similar role.

In the most recent incident, we’re told that the Russian vessel was identified by Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate, clearing the Ukrainian Navy unmanned craft to engage with the enemy. An earlier incident, in July 2026, featured a similar Ukrainian vessel remotely sink a Russian craft in the Black Sea.

Taking place off Gelendzhik, the Russian border patrol ship PSKR Izumrud was a casualty of an overall strategy that has seen Ukraine force Russia’s Black Sea Fleet into retreating from Crimea.

A new report from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance finds U.S. democracy at 50-year low.'/>

A new global democracy report finds the U.S. at its lowest level of democratic performance in the 50 years it has been measured.

(Image credit: Allison Robbert)

An annual report from the Census Bureau shows the average family made more money in 2025 than the year before, while the official poverty rate declined. Health care coverage was little changed from 2024.

(Image credit: Patrick T. Fallon)

Launching in beta soon, some guests will see AI-generated summaries as well as being able to plan vacations conversationally with a chatbot.

The board's vote to shutter the historic arts center came amid concerns about financial, structural problems.

(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski)

The judge ruled that the arts center's board may not put Trump's name back up on the building, saying such a change needs Congressional approval.

(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski)

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said his office spoke with Reiner's siblings and took their wishes into consideration in the decision.

(Image credit: Chris Torres)

Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Tuesday over the war in Iran.

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla)

Antarctic krill serve as a crucial food source for penguins, seals, and whales. They recycle nutrients used by algae. Now researchers say they've found krill in a surprising place: hydrothermal vents.

The B200A is barely 2 feet across and it has Bluetooth streaming.

You’ll be able to watch an assortment of TV shows and movies from select distributors and production houses.

Dead zones are one of the most common home networking complaints - especially if you're working from home. Eliminating them is exactly what Netgear's Orbi 370-series Wi-Fi 7 mesh router system did during our testing.

• Best for: Remote workers and families who need fast, reliable internet across large homes.

• The deal: The Netgear Orbi 373 mesh router system is now £249 (was £300) at Amazon

• Why we like it: This is the lowest ever price we've seen for the Orbi 373 three-pack, which was already an affordable Wi-Fi 7 pick. It performed incredibly well throughout our tests, and delivers up to 4,500 sq ft coverage and support for up to 70 devices. While not loaded with ports, there is a 2.5Gb port for fast wired connection.

• What's the catch: Like most cheaper Wi-Fi 7 setups, it's a dual-band router, so it skips the faster 6GHz band to keep costs down. But it's more than quick enough for everyday home use.

Today's best Wi-Fi 7 mesh router deal

Orbi 373 Wi-Fi 7 mesh router system: was £299.99 now £248.99
We rated this dual-band Wi-Fi 7 mesh system 4 stars after testing, praising its simplicity and affordability. For anyone working from home and struggling with internet drop-outs, it's a lifesaver. This three-pack comes with one router with a 2.5 Gbps internet port, plus two satellites, rated up to 3.6Gbps and covering up to 4,500 sq ft. Supports up to 70 connected devices and WPA3 security.View Deal

Why we recommend it

The Orbi 373 certainly gave my office Wi-Fi a welcome boost.

In our review for the Netgear Orbi 373, we awarded it 4 stars, and it earned a TechRadar Great Value badge. It's an extremely easy system to setup at an exceptionally affordable price for a Wi-Fi 7 router.

During testing, our reviewer Cliff said: "The Orbi 373 that we tested certainly gave my office Wi-Fi a welcome boost."

It's worth quoting his experience in full here, as it gives you an idea what to expect in terms of real-world performance:

"I also have an office towards the back of the building that my old office router can’t reach at all, leaving me with an annoying Wi-Fi deadspot that means I have to use powerline adaptors to provide a wired connection instead.

The Orbi 373 immediately kicked my office Wi-Fi up a gear, hitting the maximum 150Mbps for devices in the same room for both the Ookla Speed Test and file downloads on Steam.

To reach the back office, I placed one of the satellites inside that office and the second satellite in a hallway, roughly halfway between the main router and the other satellite. And, as I wandered along the corridor to the back office with my laptop still downloading files from Steam, I was pleased to find that the Orbi held steady at 150Mbps the whole time."

The 2.5Gb internet port matters more than it might seem. Many mesh systems in this price range still cap out at Gigabit Ethernet, which bottlenecks faster broadband plans. A 2.5Gb port means the hardware will not be the limiting factor if you upgrade your internet speed later.

A three-piece system, one router and two satellites, is also the right size for most larger homes without over-buying. It is enough hardware to cover real dead zones without paying for a four- or five-unit kit most households do not need.

Price Context & Historical Value

This is an all-time low price according to Amazon price tracker CamelCamelCamel. Compared to other Wi-Fi 7 mesh routers, the Orbi 373 was already very affordable - as we noted in our review - so this limited time deal makes it an even better price.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Netgear Orbi 373 if...

You have a larger home with persistent Wi-Fi dead zones, you want Wi-Fi 7 hardware without paying flagship mesh pricing, or you need a 2.5Gb port to actually use a faster broadband connection.

❌ Skip the Netgear Orbi 373 if...

You need tri-band or 6GHz support for maximum future-proofing, you want full parental controls without a paid Netgear subscription, or your home is small enough that a single router already covers it.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

The UK version of this system is capped at 3.6Gbps and rated for up to 4,500 sq ft, both lower than the 5Gbps and 6,000 sq ft figures quoted for the US and Australian versions of the same hardware, due to regional radio regulations. It is dual-band only, with no 6GHz support, so it will not match the raw throughput of tri-band mesh systems at this price. Full parental controls also require a paid Netgear Armor subscription, and the satellites have limited Ethernet ports, so plan your wired connections accordingly.

• Check out other network deals at Amazon

• Check Point spotted phishing emails spoofing voicemail transcript notifications, hitting 7,800+ orgs
• Malicious SVG attachments auto‑fill victim emails, redirecting to fake login pages for credential theft
• SVG format bypasses filters; businesses urged to verify notifications and treat SVGs as active content

Hackers have a new phishing lure - the automated voicemail transcript notification, and have already used it against thousands of organizations already, sending tens of thousands of malicious emails.

In a new report, security experts from Check Point Research (CPR) said they spotted an ongoing campaign that has already targeted thousands of organizations.

The goal of the campaign seems to be credential theft - grabbing access to people’s email accounts, business services, and similar.

Abusing the trends

The proliferation of AI gave rise to a new trend in the office - automated voicemail transcripts. When a person receives a voicemail, they can choose to read it instead of listening to it. Useful for a noisy workplace environment, or for emails that are too sensitive to be blasted through a speaker system. An automated system mails the transcript to the recipient’s inbox in a familiar format, and since they’re used to receiving this type of email, they’re not suspicious or skeptical enough. Their guard is lowered, which is a perfect opportunity for the attackers.

“Between August 17 and August 31, Check Point identified more than 58,000 emails tied to the campaign. The operation targeted over 7,800 organizations, leveraging more than 38,400 spoofed sender addresses across over 9,300 spoofed domains,” the researchers explained.

The emails follow a simple formula the recipients are already used to seeing. Each message’s subject line begins with “Automated transcript”, followed by a partially redacted phone number and a random tracking string. “The effect is deliberately understated: a notification that appears to have been generated by a trusted workplace system,” CPR explains.

The email domains are also spoofed in a way that makes it seem as if they’re coming from within the same organization.

SVG attachments

Every email comes with an attachment. It is designed to look like a regular call recording file, using names such as “▷ ——— 001min 09sec_….svg.” But notice the file type - SVG. This is not an audio file, it is short for Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) - an image file. There are a few reasons why scammers are opting for this particular format, but the number one is that it is an XML-based document that can contain JavaScript. When a browser opens the SVG, that JavaScript can execute, redirecting victims to a spoofed login page where they’re asked to log in.

This is exactly the setup here, too. To make matters worse, since the recipient’s email address is hardcoded in the URL, the fake login form auto-fills it. When the victim opens up the SVG, they’re redirected to a login page where the “username” part is already populated, making it more personalized and credible.

Another key reason why SVG is a popular format in these attacks is that it can bypass email security systems. If scammers put a hyperlink in the email’s body, it can be scanned by the system, and sanitized if proven malicious (which it would). But without a link the only other thing a security system can check are the attachments, and there the usual suspects are .exe, .docx, or .pdf files. Very few are focusing on SVG files, as well.

Adapting to change

This campaign is a great example of how quickly attackers adapt to enterprise workflows as automation becomes more common, Check Point’s researchers have warned. In response, businesses should start treating automated notifications as signals that need to be verified - especially those when the sender appears to match the recipient’s domain.

Furthermore, businesses should define which file types and domains AI agents are allowed to access without human confirmation, and finally, they should definitely inspect SVG attachments as active content, not simply as images.

Update - Discord now says that it has implemented a fix and that services are recovering. The rest of the story remains as originally published below.

• The gaming chat service Discord appears to have gone down
• Users are reporting that the app is not loading
• Discord says there are problems affecting availability right now

Popular gaming chat service Discord appears to have gone down, with many users reporting that they are currently unable to access the app on social media.

It's unclear which regions are affected right now, but here in the UK, I can no longer open the desktop application. The mobile app seems to be functioning properly, though, and I am able to both send and receive messages for the time being.

Those in the US also appear to be having problems, with many taking to X in order to voice their frustrations.

"Discord went down as soon as I was about to text somebody," wrote one user in a post that has already racked up hundreds of likes.

Another quipped: "This is devastating for people who don't take showers."

At the beginning of this apparent outage, the official Discord status page reported that all servers were operational. It has since been updated to report an issue with "session availability" and states that the team is currently investigating.

It's unclear how long these issues will last, though I would recommend using alternative chat services for the time being until service has been fully restored.

This story is developing and will be updated shortly.

The cost of licensing news content would be a “rounding error” for companies like OpenAI, says Ziff Davis CEO Vivek Shah.

Like many people who've just installed the new iOS 27, you're probably wondering why Siri doesn't seem quite like the new all-singing, all-dancing AI assistant you were promised.

Try to strike up a conversation with it and it will still try to palm you off to ChatGPT, or just throw up a load of web links instead of answering you directly. You'd be forgiven for wondering whether Siri AI is just another failure.

Part of the problem is that Apple's terminology makes it genuinely confusing, but there's an important distinction between iOS 27's Siri and Siri AI that you need to make. Let me explain.

Installing iOS 27 gives you some new Apple Intelligence features, but it does not automatically give you the headline new Siri. The big Siri upgrade is Siri AI (Beta), which you can apply for, but requires joining a separate waitlist.

Of course, that doesn't mean you don't get anything new with iOS 27, though, so let's break it down.

(Image credit: Apple / Future)What you get in iOS 27 without joining Siri AI (Beta)

Most of the really dramatic Siri improvements aren't actually part of ordinary Siri. With iOS 27, however, you do get new Apple Intelligence features elsewhere on your iPhone.

For example, existing Writing Tools remain available without Siri AI, while iOS 27 adds things such as Live Translation in Messages, FaceTime and Phone. There's also Call Context, which can surface relevant information such as an airline confirmation code while you're on a call, improved Smart Replies, Mail suggestions and suggested polls.

Visual Intelligence is another useful AI feature that works without Siri AI. Just click and hold the Camera Control button to activate it.

Visual Intelligence is a way of asking ChatGPT, using your voice or text, about what your camera is looking at, as well as searching for similar things online using Google. You can also use it to identify plants, translate text and turn dates on posters or flyers into Calendar events.

There's an onscreen version of Visual Intelligence too, although it's a bit clunky to use. Take a screenshot with the Side + Volume Up buttons and you'll see Visual Intelligence tools appear at the bottom, including Ask, Search, Summarize, and actions such as Add to Calendar. Again, once you tap Ask, you can speak your request instead of typing it.

But these are really iOS and Apple Intelligence upgrades, rather than Siri becoming something like ChatGPT. For that you'll need the upcoming Siri AI.

(Image credit: Apple / Future)What you DON'T get until Siri AI (Beta)

With Siri AI, Apple has a long list of new capabilities it says Siri gains:

• Broad world knowledge — with proper conversational answers to general questions rather than relying so heavily on search or ChatGPT.
• Personal context — it can find things buried in your Mail, Messages, Photos and Notes apps, even from fairly natural descriptions.
• Onscreen awareness — you can ask Siri about whatever you're currently looking at without having to take a screenshot. Apple's examples include asking it to explain a diagram in your class notes or compare two reports in Files.
• Much deeper app actions — Apple gives examples including finding information and then drafting an email, or editing and sharing a set of photos.
• Real generative writing — in the new version, Siri itself can compose text from scratch, rewrite, proofread and critique writing. Without Siri AI, you're using the separate Writing Tools instead.
• Conversational history — there's an entirely new dedicated Siri app that sits on your Home screen, with conversations synced privately through iCloud so you can start on one Apple device and continue on another.
• Visual Intelligence through Siri — rather than invoking Visual Intelligence separately, you can simply ask Siri questions about what's on your screen.
• More natural speech and dictation — on supported hardware, Apple says its new on-device model gives Siri more expressive voices, customizable pace and expressiveness, and improved system-wide dictation. This is an area where Siri currently stands well behind Gemini Live and ChatGPT Voice.
• Personalized writing style — Siri can apparently learn how you communicate with different people. Apple's example is recognizing that you normally send your manager short bullet points and drafting your text accordingly.

And that's the Siri AI you don't have yet.

Join the waitlist

The good news is that you can apply to join the beta right now. Go to Settings > Siri, where you should see Siri AI (Beta) at the top of the screen. Tap Join waitlist and you'll be added to the queue. You'll get a notification when Siri AI is available for you.

There are also some major regional restrictions. Siri AI isn't currently available on iPhones or iPads in the European Union, although EU users can access it on Macs and Vision Pro. In mainland China, Siri AI isn't currently available at all for users whose Apple Account region is set to China.

Because I’m in the UK, the EU restrictions don’t apply to me. I've joined the waitlist now, so I'll be putting Siri AI through its paces as soon as Apple lets me in. Until then, if you've installed iOS 27 and wondered why Siri still feels suspiciously like the Siri you had yesterday, there's a simple explanation: it pretty much is.

Sony FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS / Sony FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS: One-minute review

I've only just had my hands on the Fujifilm XF 400mm F4.5 R OIS LM WR lens, photographing birds of prey in flight, but I can now reveal that I was also testing two rival super-telephoto Sony primes at the same time ahead of their launch; the FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS and FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS.

Both lenses sit within the focal length range of Sony's longest zoom lens — the 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS — but they sacrifice zoom versatility for a couple of real benefits: they have a slightly brighter maximum aperture, and they're significantly lighter.

In fact, Sony's new 400mm and 600mm primes are the lightest of their kind, weighing 994g / 995g respectively (35oz approx). It's the light weight that's their major appeal — plus the promise from Sony of superior MTF performance (the outright optical quality at the various lens settings) versus rivals, such as Nikon's 400mm f/4.5 VR S.

The 600mm lens is physically the slightly longer of the two lenses, but they otherwise appear largely identical. (Image credit: Future)

There's no shortage of super-telephoto lenses from Sony, but these primes are probably the best option for enthusiasts who know their focal length and want to prioritize quality over zoom versatility.

They're way more affordable options than Sony's high-end 400mm F2.8 and 600mm F4 pro primes, but they still boast the superior GM quality designation over comparable 'G' zooms such as the 200-600mm and 400-800mm, and are by no means cheap.

If you mainly photograph larger wildlife, then the 400mm lens is ideal, while the 600mm lens is better suited for smaller creatures. I took both lenses to my local wetland reserve and to a nearby deer park to really test them out over hours-long hiking and photography sessions, and I was able to get a feel for how they sit with a Sony camera – in my case the A7 V that Sony loaned to me for this review — and how each one performed. Let's dive in.

Sony FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS / Sony FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS: price and availability

• The 400mm F4.5 GM OSS costs £2,400, while the 600mm F6.3 costs £3,300
• Both come in a soft padded case with handle and shoulder strap, and with a lens hood

Before I get into the handling and performance of each lens, let's look at the pricing. In the UK the FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS costs £2,400, while the FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS costs £3,300. I'll update this page with US and Australia pricing when I get it.

Each lens comes in a soft padded case with handle and shoulder strap, so they can be securely carried separately to a bag. A lens hood is supplied, too.

To put that pricing into context, Fujifilm's new 400mm F4.5 lens (for APS-C with 600mm equivalent focal length) costs around the same, while the cost of Nikon's 400mm f/4.5 VR S has fallen by 15% since its 2022 launch, which takes it to the same price.

The 600mm lens is cheaper compared to Nikon's 600mm f/6.3, which originally cost about 50% more, but with price reductions is currently about 25% more.

Sony's professional FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS and FE 600mm F4 GM OSS are in another (five-figure) price and weight category altogether.

Though hardly cheap, considering the specs, and the fact that these are 'Grand Master' (GM) lenses — Sony's professional series — I think the pair are pretty decent value overall.

Sony FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS / Sony FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS: specsSony FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS / Sony FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS specs

Type:

Supertelephoto prime

Mount:

Sony E

Sensor:

Full-frame

Focal length:

400mm and 600mm

Aperture:

f/4.5 and f/6.3

Minimum focus:

8.21ft / 2.5m (both)

Filter size:

95mm (both)

Dimensions:

108 x 242mm (400mm) / 108 x 263mm (600mm)

Weight:

35oz / 994g and 995g respectively (bare lens)

Sony FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS / Sony FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS: design

• Lightest lenses of their kind at 994g (400mm) and 995g (600mm) respectively
• Weather resistant, with rubber sealed lens mount
• Removable tripod collar

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Light weight is the major talking point here. Both the FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS and FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS weigh a fraction under 1,000g (about 35oz), making them the lightest of their kind. For the wildlife and sports photography that these lenses are designed for, the light weight makes long shoot days more manageable — and I should know, because I've used them both extensively.

Nikon's equivalent lenses are 1,160g and 1,360g respectively, while Sony's 400-800mm G lens weighs 87oz/2,475g — and Sony's high-end 400mm F2.8 and 600mm F4 primes are around 3x the weight of its new additions. There are other Sony zooms available; the pricier 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS weighs 65oz/ 1,840g, while the lower-end FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3G OSS weighs 75oz/2,115g. Canon has no comparable lenses.

As for size, the 400mm measures 242mm in length, and the 600mm 263mm in length — not the smallest of their kind, therefore, but definitely the lightest.

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Despite the lightweight build, each lens is dust and moisture resistant, features a rubber ring to seal the lens mount, and includes Sony's Optical SteadyShot (OSS) — a key feature when shooting at such extreme focal lengths.

There are five switches, covering off focus mode, a focus range limiter, optical stabilization and the stabilization mode, a function ring, plus four focus hold buttons. The tripod collar ring hosts a (removable) tripod mount.

Like the rubberized function ring, the generous focus ring has pronounced ridging, which makes gripping and rotating it a cinch.

(Image credit: Future)

Both lenses support Sony's 1.4x and 2x teleconverters, the latter of which doubles the focal length, at the cost of maximum aperture. I preferred shooting without teleconverters, because aperture margins are amplified when shooting high-speed action with fast shutter speeds at such extreme focal lengths — every bit of additional brightness goes along way.

Compared to Sony's pricier primes, the maximum aperture of each lens is less bright, being f/4.5 and f/6.3 respectively. However, the maximum aperture is brighter than the 400-800mm's, which is f/6.3 at 400mm, and f/8 when zoomed in to 600mm.

Sony super-telephoto lenses for full-frame E-mount

Lens

Price

Weight

400mm F4.5 GM OSS

£2,400

35oz/994g

600mm F6.3 GM OSS

£3,300

35oz/995g

100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS

$4,299 / £4,399

65oz/ 1,840g

400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS

$2,699 / £2,399

87oz/2,475g

100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM

$2,799 / £2,149

49oz/1395g

200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS

$2,099 / £1,599

75oz/2,115g

400mm F2.8 GM OSS

$12,999 / £10,490

102oz/2,895g

600mm F4 GM OSS

$14,099 / £11,999

107oz/3,040g

Sony FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS / Sony FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS: Performance

• Snappy and quiet internal autofocus when paired with a recent Sony camera
• 11-blade aperture creates attractive, smooth bokeh
• Detail is very sharp, especially when subjects are relatively close

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Both lenses feature a fairly complex optical construction, comprising extra-low dispersion elements to minimize chromatic aberration, Sony's Nano AR Coating II to reduce flare and ghosting, plus an 11-blade aperture for what Sony calls "gorgeous ball bokeh".

Twin XD linear motors drive those lens elements for fast, precise autofocus and tracking, being able to support tracking up to 120fps — which covers 4x slow-motion video recording.

With the appropriate bird, animal and insect detection in play for taking photos of birds, deer and dragonflies respectively, autofocus proved swift and reliable. Only for photos of large mammals using the maximum aperture, did I see the occasional softness,where focusing was slightly off from the creature's eyes.

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I used the maximum aperture of each lens for the majority of the photos I took, and image quality is impressive — you can see for yourself in the gallery of some of my favorite shots below.

There's no particular sign of vignetting at the maximum aperture, while chromatic aberration is well controlled. Bokeh is smooth, too, while detail in subjects, provided they're not too far away and they're in focus, is crisp.

When depth of field is narrow and subjects are at some distance, images benefit from a little sharpening, but otherwise I'm really happy with the photos I took. The original images you see in the galleries are converted RAW files, which are largely unedited — I haven't applied any sharpening.

Tim ColemanTim ColemanTim ColemanShould I buy?

(Image credit: Future)Buy it if...

You want a high-quality, super-telephoto prime that's easy on the body
Sony's GM-quality optics, in a lightest-of-their-kind body — these are dreamy lenses for long days photographing wildlife and sports.

You're an enthusiast wildlife photographer with deep pockets
They're more affordable than Sony's high-end 400mm and 600mm lenses (but by no means cheap), and with a slighter smaller maximum aperture.

Don't buy it if...

You want zoom versatility
Sony has compelling zoom lens alternatives for both of the 400mm and 600mm primes — so if you can live with the extra weight and, in some cases, slightly smaller maximum aperture, these alternatives could be a better bet.

You're a casual wildlife and sports photographer
Unless wildlife and sports photography are your thing, these lenses could be a little overkill.

How I tested the Sony FE 400mm F4.5 GM OSS / Sony FE 600mm F6.3 GM OSS

(Image credit: Future)

• Sony loaned me both 400mm and 600mm lenses weeks ahead of their unveiling
• I received the lenses with a Sony A7 V body to test them
• I used the lenses in proper wildlife photography scenarios and carried them over many hours

I was fortunate to receive both lenses from Sony, with an A7 V body, several weeks ahead of their announcement, and was able to give them a proper test in the scenarios that people would use them.

I went to a wetland reserve to photography birdlife and insects including dragonflies, and to a historic park that's habited with deer. On multiple occasions I carried both lenses and camera over the course of several hours, and used the gear in bright daylight, under light rain, and as daylight faded.

I mainly used the maximum aperture of each lens, but also stopped aperture down to make comparisons. I set the camera up specific to each scenario, with the appropriate subject detection autofocus.

First reviewed September 2026