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At the annual tradeshow in Barcelona, we saw an ultra-slim smartphone, solar-powered laptop, and Google's Astra technology baked into its Gemini assistant, coming to Android phones soon.

Apple Intelligence is gaining more features with every beta release across iOS, macOS, and iPadOS, but the company surprised pretty much everyone at the start of February when it released the Apple Invites app.

Less an extension of its various operating systems and more a siloed application, it leans on some Apple Intelligence features but mostly feels like a sort of central point for Apple’s own services.

I tested it out since I needed to plan my son’s sixth birthday party, and while I can’t deny it has that Apple ‘sheen’ to it, I find myself struggling to get all that excited about it.

‘Diminishing Returns’

(Image credit: Apple/Lloyd Coombes)

Apple Invites wasn’t perhaps what we were expecting from the company, but just like the Sports app, it’s another app that can dovetail with multiple Apple services.

It’s essentially a fulcrum that can link to your calendar, photos, and even Apple Music to set the tone for your event.

That’s great, but if you’re not tied into any of those, you’ll see diminishing returns. Apple Invites is perfectly usable by anyone outside of the ecosystem to respond, but naturally you can’t build the perfect playlist or drop in that ideal photo if you’re not tied in with Apple.

It makes sense, of course — Apple isn’t going to go out of its way to integrate Spotify, after all, but it’s worth noting before you start loading up your events.

AI for the rest of us?

(Image credit: Apple/Lloyd Coombes)

My favourite thing about Apple’s new Invites app is just how easy it is to use. If you’ve ever used something like Google Meet or Outlook, you’ll know that trying to populate all the required fields the first time can feel a little awkward, leading to follow-up edits.

Naturally, these aren’t necessarily made for a quick video call and are more for ‘IRL’ events, but I appreciate that Apple has made it so easy to use nonetheless.

As long as you have an iCloud+ subscription, you can add a title, event details, and some snazzy generative AI images (or your own), along with a playlist to capture the vibe, and pretty much get it sent out within a few minutes.

It’s a far cry from the e-vites of yesteryear, and while Apple Intelligence’s slogan of “AI for the rest of us” hasn’t rung true for many, it feels like a smart move to integrate it into an app that’ll be used to send glitzy invites to Apple users and non-Apple users alike.

Outside of the Apple ecosystem? No problem

(Image credit: Apple/Lloyd Coombes)

While you need an iCloud+ account to send your invites, anyone can RSVP regardless of their device of choice.

In my use case, that’s particularly handy — sending an invite to my mother-in-law’s iPhone was easy enough, but my parents have Android phones. I appreciate not needing to adjust either way, too, just sending out a barrage of invites all in one go.

If you are in the Apple ecosystem, Invites is merely a nifty bonus on top of Family Sharing, cloud-based storage, and features like Custom email domains.

But who is it for?

The question I kept coming back to while tooling around with the app was “who is this for?” and I don’t think I’ll be alone in that.

It feels like a proof-of-concept rather than a must-have tool, and while I don’t doubt some families will gravitate toward it in the way Genmoji has become more popular with some users, it just feels like a strange time to introduce an event invite service.

I’m also not sure what the future looks like for the app. I’m not entirely sure what I’d want Apple to add outside of additional integrations, but what’s here feels so focused on a single purpose that it feels an oddity next to Apple’s increasingly malleable (and powerful) in-house apps.

Look how Reminders and Notes have grown over the last few years and it’s hard to plot a similar trajectory for Apple Invites. Does it need one? Perhaps not, but the whole thing just feels like it’s in a weird spot when most people just text each other invitations to events anyway.

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(Image credit: Mark Wilson)

• POLSA announces it suffered a data breach
• Agency says it shut down its IT systems following alert
• Insiders claim incident was due to email compromise

The Polish Space Agency (POLSA) has confirmed it recently suffered a cyberattack which forced it to pull IT infrastructure offline.

The agency confirmed the attack via an X post, in which it said that relevant authorities have already been notified.

“There has been a cybersecurity incident at POLSA,” the machine-translated X post reads. “The relevant services and institutions have been informed. The situation is being analyzed. In order to secure data after the hack, the POLSA network was immediately disconnected from the Internet. We will keep you updated.”

Russia stands accused

Such a short announcement left plenty of room for speculation, and surely enough, some media started discussing if this was a ransomware attack. After all, it is standard practice in ransomware attacks to disconnect affected infrastructure from the internet, to prevent data leaks and quickly sever connections to any persistence mechanisms.

However, an anonymous source told The Register that POLSA’s emails were compromised, and that the staff was told to use phones for communication, instead of emails.

The news was later confirmed by Poland's digitalization minister Krzysztof Gawkowski, who said the Polish government was engaged in "intensive operational activities" to understand who the attackers are. Gawkowski added that POLSA was getting a helping hand from the country’s two computer security incident response teams, CSIRT NASK and CSIRT MON.

The identity of the threat actors, or the goal of the attack, is not known at this time. Reuters reports Warsaw has “repeatedly” accused Moscow of attempting to destabilize Poland because of the military support it is providing to Ukraine, with whom Russia is at war right now.

Russia has denied all allegations, Reuters added.

POLSA supported Poland’s involvement in European Space Agency (ESA) projects, including participation in the ExoMars mission and the development of satellite technologies. POLSA also played a role in launching Poland’s first scientific satellites, such as PW-Sat and BRITE-PL, which focused on space debris mitigation and stellar research.

Via The Register

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The biggest problem with Assassin's Creed Nexus VR, a VR (virtual reality) entry on the long-running stealth action series exclusively for Meta Quest headsets, is that it feels more supplemental than any fully-fledged Assassin’s Creed installment. All the franchise’s key mechanics are well represented, be that the trademark parkour, delightfully slick hidden blades, or those iconic leaps of faith from high vantage points into nearby piles of hay, but the focus on existing protagonists and familiar settings holds it back.

Review info

Platform reviewed: Meta Quest 2
Available on: Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest Pro
Release date: November 16, 2023

This is a game that doesn’t really have its own distinct identity, seeming more like a ‘best of’ compilation geared towards existing fans rather than something that, like many of the best VR games, newcomers might be incentivized to pick up a new VR headset in order to play. It’s a shame as, otherwise, this is a remarkably solid VR experience elevated by some seriously impressive elements like its massive maps, formidable length, and abundance of side content, and only a handful of frustrations to overcome.

Clip compilation

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Unlike a traditional Assassin’s Creed experience, Nexus VR is divided into distinct episodes that alternate between protagonists from some of the best Assassin’s Creed games.

You begin in 1500s Italy, catching up with fan-favorite Ezio Auditore years after the events of Assassin’s Creed 2. Your home has been infiltrated by bandits and your first task is to navigate through its hidden passages and retrieve your stolen gear. These early segments are very linear, introducing you to the parkour systems (the most impressive part of which sees you able to grab onto practically any surface and hoist yourself along like some kind of spider monkey) and outlining the combat mechanics in some encounters with basic armed goons.

The parkour works fantastically, channeling that simulated physicality that makes VR climbing experiences like Horizon Call of the Mountain so satisfying, but the combat never felt quite right to me. It’s fine on paper, at its most basic level it challenges you to hold your sword in the correct direction of an incoming hit to block it or swing as an enemy strikes for a parry.

Unfortunately, the collision detection seems off and no matter how hard I focus on holding my sword in the right places, it always seems like a fifty percent chance that it would actually register properly. This was despite multiple attempts to recalibrate the game to my height and position in the settings menu.

There’s a chance that this was due to the fact that I was playing on the slightly older Meta Quest 2 headset, which doesn’t have as advanced tracking capabilities as the Meta Quest 3, but it’s not something that I’ve experienced while trying any other VR game thus far.

Lots to do

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Mercifully, you’re not expected to fight your way through every single encounter and you’re soon thrust into the ancient sandals of Kassandra - the protagonist from Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Exploring the Greek island of Delos in about 400 BC, her sections are easily the best of the bunch and impressively open despite their small size. While you always have an objective on screen to pursue, there are loads of optional side activities that mean that you can easily squeeze much more out of the already meaty 13 or so-hour runtime.

There are fantastic parkour challenges which have you racing through a series of checkpoints on tight time limits, collectibles that unlock interesting historical facts to browse, and plenty of hidden relics to track down in secret chests. Even if you only focus on the main tasks, you’re completely free to approach objectives as you wish which is where the stealth really starts to shine. It’s nothing hugely complex, but crouching behind boxes and throwing distractions to lure nearby guards over for a one-hit hidden blade takedown was never not satisfying, and truly felt like I was embodying an assassin.

There’s a lot of mileage in experimenting with your arsenal of useful tools like smoke bombs, throwing knives, or your bow too, and I’m still keen to dive back in for more sneaking action even now that the credits have rolled. On top of Ezio and Kassandra’s stories, there are a handful of missions where you play as Ratonhnhaké:ton, or Connor, in the build-up to the American Revolution.

Connor was always my least favorite Assassin’s Creed protagonist and, unfortunately, he is still just as unappealing in Assassin's Creed Nexus VR. His monotone voice lines are faithful to his original characterization in Assassin’s Creed 3 but are glaringly uncharismatic when presented between the amusing innuendos dispensed by Ezio and the brash confidence of Kassandra. His aggressive, edgy attitude to even the most inoffensive non-playable characters (NPCs) often made me cringe too - this is one hero probably best left in 2012.

Best bit

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

When playing as Connor you have access to his tomahawk rather than your usual sword. This opens up some great new gameplay possibilities, like throwing it in the middle of a fight to stun your opponent or tossing it at unsuspecting guard patrols from a hidden location for long-range stealth takedowns.

These three plotlines are all brought together by an overarching storyline set in the real world that’s centered around the futuristic Animus (the device that lets you look into the past) and the seemingly endless battle between the ancient order of Assassins and the evil Templars. It’s a thread that has run through the series since the beginning and, while it starts engaging enough in Nexus (and makes interesting use of your headset’s front camera for a novel augmented reality effect), it soon devolves into characters standing in practically blank environments lecturing you on the conflict for extended periods of time when you’d much rather be doing literally anything else.

I often resorted to sitting on the floor of my living room while these played out and would have likely skipped them entirely were I not evaluating the game for the purpose of this review. The real-world storyline has always been a sticking point in Assassin’s Creed games, so much so that the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows has simply opted to relegate it entirely to a separate menu, but it’s still a big shame that it’s just so uninteresting here.

(Image credit: Ubisoft)

As I’ve previously mentioned, I experienced the whole of Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR on the Meta Quest 2 headset. This is far from the company’s latest offering (the flagship Meta Quest 3 or even more budget-oriented Meta Quest 3S), but the visuals still manage to be a highlight.

It's not perfect, with a few cutbacks to overall image quality and the resolution of textures, but the bright sunny streets of Italy or Greece and the moody fog of colonial America oozes with atmosphere. This would, however, seem even more impressive if these weren’t well-worn settings that we have seen represented in even more life-like detail by other games in the series.

This all raises the question, is Assassin's Creed Nexus VR worth playing? The great graphics and stellar stealth would definitely suggest so in spite of the wonky combat, especially given the relatively low $39.99 / £34.99 price of admission. If you’re an existing fan of Assassin’s Creed like me, there’s also some extra enjoyment in revisiting familiar characters from games gone by (yes, even Connor) - though an original setting and cast would undeniably be much more appealing and approachable to newcomers.

Should I play Assassin's Creed Nexus VR?

(Image credit: Ubisoft) Play it if…

You love all things Assassin’s Creed
Assassin's Creed Nexus VR is a solid VR take on the Assassin’s Creed series, letting you live out your assassin fantasy with first-person leaps of faith, lots of sneaking around, and historical settings to explore.

You’ve played the old games
With protagonists returning from Assassin’s Creed 2, 3, and Odyssey, Assassin's Creed Nexus VR is a treat for long-time series fans.

You want a lengthy VR experience
Many VR games tend to be on the shorter side, so the 13+ hour length of Assassin's Creed Nexus VR helps it stand out from the crowd. It’s brimming with side content to help get that number up even further too.

Don’t play it if…

You down yet own a Meta Quest 2 or 3
Is it worth running out to buy a Meta Quest 2 or 3 to play Assassin's Creed Nexus VR? Definitely not. This is very much an optional spinoff, not a system-selling must-play VR installment à la Half-Life: Alyx over on PC.

Accessibility

Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR has lots of accessibility features designed to improve your comfort in VR. There is a dedicated accessibility menu with features such as hand stabilization, multiple control layouts, and more. The game has four different comfort presets to choose from, with the option for continuous motion or teleportation movement. The game also offers a fear of heights mode, which adds a visible floor beneath your character when you’re high up in the virtual world. On top of this, the entire game can be played while seated.

You also have the option of turning on a vignette or virtual nose, which can help prevent motion sickness. There is a dedicated crouch button and the game can also be played either seated or standing. There are also multiple difficulty levels to choose from. As far as VR games go, these are some of the most fully-featured and comprehensive accessibility options that I’ve ever seen - so props to Ubisoft here.

How I reviewed Assassin's Creed Nexus VR

I played Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR for over 13 hours using a Meta Quest 2 headset. During that time I completed the missions of the main story and also spent a bit of extra time exploring the more open areas of the world to track down collectibles.

My playthrough mainly focused on stealth, though I was also careful to evaluate the quality of the combat by engaging in a few head-on fights.

First reviewed March 2025

• The OnePlus Watch 3 was recently unveiled and then delayed by two months
• OnePlus has since confirmed that the new wearable will only receive two years of software support
• The company also confirmed that Wear OS 5 support for the OnePlus Watch 2 is coming in Q3

The OnePlus Watch 3 will only get two years of software support from launch, the company has confirmed – and the news for OnePlus Watch 2 owners isn't much better.

The OnePlus Watch 3 was billed as one of the most exciting smartwatch launches of this year, and a contender for best Android smartwatch thanks to its excellent battery life.

However, the launch was stymied somewhat by an unfortunate 'Meda in China' typo that has seen the release delayed by a full two months. Amongst the hubbub of the bungled launch, the company has now announced two very disappointing pieces of software news concerning the future of its smartwatch line.

As reported by our friends at Android Central, OnePlus says the Watch 3 will only get two OS updates, and two years of bi-monthly security updates. As for OnePlus Watch 2 owners patiently waiting for Wear OS 5, that's coming in Q3, fully one year after leading Android models like the Pixel Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch 7 get the update.

OnePlus Watch 3's disappointing software revelation

(Image credit: Future)

As an Apple Watch veteran, I'm constantly bewildered by the rather fragmented and lacking approach to software on Android smartwatches, and even the best Garmins.

To begin with the latter announcement, OnePlus has essentially confirmed that OnePlus Watch 2 owners will get Wear OS 5 fully one year after it launched on leading models from Samsung and Galaxy. Just to rub it in, Wear OS 6 will likely debut in the meantime.

Perhaps more concerning, the new OnePlus Watch 3 has a confirmed software support cycle of just two years. As Android Central notes, that's a year shy of OnePlus' previous three-year commitment to the OnePlus Watch 2, a lifespan I'd already posit is pretty disappointing for a smartwatch.

The only upside is that, given the OnePlus Watch 3's delay, most people likely haven't bought one yet and so can reconsider their purchase. Both Samsung and Google offer better support in terms of software lifespan, ensuring that their smartwatches last longer and work more effectively thanks to updates, including important security fixes to protect your personal data. Given the price parity in the mainstream smartwatch market, software support of three or even four years drastically improves the value for money of your purchase.

Prospective OnePlus Watch 3 owners who are serial upgraders might be less concerned, but this revelation also indicates that it might be a full year before Wear OS 6 arrives on that model, which is surely another reason to reconsider buying one.

In more positive news, OnePlus has confirmed that a smaller model of the Watch 3, and a version with cellular support, are on the way later this year, although whether that's enough to assuage concerns around software support and longevity is another matter.

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(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla)

Seemingly channeling his inner Phil Collins, Apple CEO Tim Cook took to X (formerly Twitter) to post the words "This week" alongside a six-second teaser video that features the words "There’s something in the Air" and a thin blue line that cuts through the last word.

To me and my esteemed colleagues here at TechRadar that would point towards a somewhat imminent announcement of a new MacBook Air, like a refreshed version of the current 13-inch and 15-inch Air laptops with the core addition being Apple's latest M4 chip.

Such specualtion is backed up by Bloomberg reporter and accurate Apple tipster Mark Gurman reporting that Apple is set to announce the MacBook Air M4 any day now.

Gurman also noted that the rumored iPad 11 and a next-generation iPad Air “probably won’t come in the next few days.” Which would indicate what Apple may reveal this week are new MacBook Airs.

Of course, I and others don't know this for sure as Apple remains as tight-lipped as ever, so this article will act as a one-stop-shop for the latest rumors, opinion and speculation so far building into what could be a decent-sized Apple announcement on the horizon.

Let's get into it.

Hello. Mobile Computing Managing Editor Roland Moore-Colyer here to take you through the Apple rumors and TechRadar musings so far. I've been covering such Apple announcements and major Apple events for years, so I feel I'm qualified to have a good ol' stab at speculating what we might see from Apple this week.

Thinking differently...

(Image credit: Apple)

In days gone by, Apple would normally have a couple of big events a year with an in-person or live streamed event that would usually see the reveal of a handful of products around specific categories, such as phones, tablets and computers.

But as the crew at Cupertino have started to push out ever-more iterative updates to Apple's product lines, these events have given away to announcements on social media and Apple's own newsroom page. To me this lacks the spectacle but does give us regular Apple announcements to chew over.

The last Apple announcement of the newsroom ilk came in the form of the iPhone 16e reveal. Apple simply posted an information drop on its website and had the phone up for pre-order pretty sharpish.

There was a decent amount of information to chew over but one could argue the announcement lacked Cupertino's normal appetite for showmanship. I expect the announcement this week to be very similar to that of the iPhone 16e's.

Expect M4 chip power

(Image credit: Future)

So what do I and others expect to see from the Apple announcement? Well as discussed it'll very likely be a pair of new MacBook Air laptops.

While the current pair of MacBook Airs are hardly old, having been refreshed last year with the M3 chip, they don't sport the very latest chips; those can be found in the MacBook Pro 14-inch and MacBook Pro 16-inch.

Those models rock the 'Pro' version of the M4 chip, so we can expect to see non-pro version come to refreshed Airs.

As someone still using the MacBook Air M2, which is a fantastic little laptop that's going very strong after two years of consistent use, I'm not overly convinced Apple really needs to refresh the Air lineup on just a specs basis.

But Apple is Apple, and minor refreshes to its products are to be expected... if not exactly desired.

I'd like a new design for the MacBook Air please Apple

The design of the MacBook Air could do with a refresh (Image credit: Apple)

Having said that I love the MacBook Air M2, I'd not mind a few tweaks to the slim laptop's design. A 14-inch display, perhaps facilitated by some narrowing of the display bezels and a trimming down of the display notch, would definitely get my attention.

I love the LCD Retina display on my Air M2, but it can feel a tad cramped at times when I'm trying to get work done on the go and at speed.

But there are no rumors indicating to a reworked MacBook Air design. So I'm not going to hold my breath and expect the display notch to have been given a nip and a tuck.

Equally, one can never be 100% sure when it comes to Apple. And the MacBook Air's design language is a bit long in the tooth for tech standards. So perhaps we could be in for a surprise.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 has a great keyboard that Apple could draw inspiration from. (Image credit: Future)

Other areas for MacBook Air improvement could come in the form of a refreshed keyboard. I love the keyboard on my Air, and my fingers fly across it when I'm writing at speed.

However, there's not the deepest of key travel and sometimes I feel the keyboard lacks the tactile feel of the amazing keyboard on the Microsoft Surface Laptop models; those balanced snappy responses with a decent bit of travel to make for a wonderfully tactile experience; I feel nostalgic for my old Surface Laptop 2.

On the flipside, I'd not want Apple to mess with the Force Touch trackpad, which is basically the best trackpad I've used on any laptop.

It's big, smooth and responsive and I adore it. Force Touch is an odd name however...

Other design changes and upgrades I'd like to see could come in the form of faster charging; the MacBook Air is by no means a slouch when sucking up electrical juice but it's not amazingly quick either.

I'd also not mind a few more ports. An extra USB-C slot would be appreciated, especially if Apple adds it to the right-hand side where there's seemingly loads of spare space.

And while I doubt Apple will ever do it, I'd love to see a full-sized SD card slot on the next-generation MacBook Air, as that would make transferring photos from my DSLR to macOS far easier than it currently is for me.

A final request for a MacBook Air upgrade would be a move to OLED displays. I feel Apple could thread the line of balancing bolder display tech with energy efficiency.

But if such an upgrade was coming this year I reckon the rumor mill would have been churning it out by now; we've heard no whispers.

When I'm in the office I use a Samsung laptop with an OLED display and adore how rich its colors are, and that deep contrast OLED offers. So there's potential here, but I suspect Apple will keep OLED panels for its MacBook Pros for a good few years still.

(Image credit: Apple)

Dialing in my specualtion, the obvious upgrade for the MacBook Air, and one that I've mentioned earlier, would be an M4 chip.

We've already seen this system-on-a-chip get used in the latest versions of the iPad Pro, Mac mini and iMac, so it makes sense for new MacBook Air models to get it.

I highly doubt Apple will have tweaked the silicon to work any differently for the MacBook Airs than these other devices, though there's sure to be more headroom to push the chipset a little harder in a laptop chassis than in the iPad Pro.

Speaking from my experience with the MacBook Air M2, I'm rather unfussed on the next-generation Air having a dollop more power.

My Air has enough grunt to deal with basically any everyday task I throw at it. I opted for the model with 8GB of RAM and I don't think it's ever felt slow. Sure, it won't churn through the handful of proper PC games macOS supports, but it can run the excellent Baldur's Gate 3 so one might argue what more does one need...

Then again, I'm not a huge user of the AI-powered Apple Intelligence tools, which I suspect will only get more demanding as they advance.

So having M4 power could certainly make a new MacBook Air more futureproof.

(Image credit: Apple)

Speaking of AI, I'd expect Apple announcement to lean hard on talking about Apple Intelligence and its integration into macOS, along with how an M4 chip-equipped Air will be poised perfectly to crunch through onboard AI tasks.

Not sure that'll rock my world but I stand ready to be entertained and informed.

Right, enough chatter about my thoughts on the MacBook Air. Let's take a closer look at the video Tim Cook posted. Check it out below.

This week. pic.twitter.com/uXqQaGNkSkMarch 3, 2025

As I mentioned earlier, the blue line that strikes through the word 'Air' has the look of a MacBook Air when closed, so would point towards a revealed of a new Air models.

Don't expect a new iPad Air this week

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

But then maybe Apple could go a bit rogue and reveal a new iPad Air.

However, putting aside Gurman's speculation that new iPads won't get revealed this week, I'm not convinced we'll see a new iPad Air this week. The Apple iPad Air 13-inch got launched last year to critical acclaim from TechRadar and others.

That iPad uses the M2 chip, so is arguably due a specs boost. But I'm not sure the iPad Air necessarily need a lot more power. For power-users the M4-equipped iPad Pros exist, albeit at pretty high prices.

Then again, giving a refreshed iPad Air an M3 chip would be one way for Apple to use up any M3 chips it had lying around and give it something else to announce. If that's the case, then I tend to agree with Gruman and don't expect to see a new iPad Air get revealed today; likely Apple will keep such an announcement in its back pocket for a reveal later.

I reckon Apple's announcement will come on Wednesday

(Image credit: Getty Images)

So when do I think Apple will make an announcement? I'm predicting Wednesday.

Historically, Apple has favored Tuesdays for its product launches, but the iPhone 16e was launched on Wednesday, February 20. And my gut instinct tells me Apple could drop its announcement tomorrow, which would be two weeks on from the last announcement.

I feel that makes sense as it give some room for the nws to breathe before we get into the weekend. Of course, I could be totally wrong.

As an FYI, I'm keeping an eye on the Apple Newsroom webpage, just in case Apple suddenly drops its announcement today.

The page for the MacBook Air M3 is still up and running. Usually if there's a product drop that's imminently imminent, then Apple tends to have a message saying its updating the store.

Equally, pre-orders for a new MacBook Air might not go live on the same day as the announcement. Watch this space.

• AMD says its new RDNA 4 GPUs will only support UEFI
• This means compatibility modes on older motherboards are now ruled out
• Only a seriously niche set of gamers with very old PCs will be affected

AMD’s new RDNA 4 graphics cards will only support UEFI officially, which is the modern take on the BIOS, the company has made clear.

As you may be aware, the BIOS is the firmware on your motherboard that’s necessary for your computer to boot up and work, facilitating communication between the hardware components and the software operating system. And as mentioned, the UEFI is just the most recent spin on this (though it should be noted, it has been around for a long time at this point).

AMD tells us: “To fully leverage the benefits of UEFI, only UEFI Mode will be officially supported starting from the AMD RDNA 4 generation of graphics cards (Radeon RX 9000 Series Graphics and later).”

So, in short, your PC will need to be running in full UEFI mode, and not a legacy compatibility mode (known as CSM or Compatibility Support Module) which is an alternative on non-UEFI motherboards that some folks have used to run AMD graphics card on older hardware.

Team Red also outlines the benefits of UEFI firmware compared to ‘legacy’ (pre-UEFI) BIOS firmware, which includes the following boons:

• Greatly improved security
• Fully specified interfaces that ensure interoperability and testability
• Dependable firmware updates from the internet with minimal user interaction
• Support for hard drives larger than 2.2TB
• Support for many new types of PC hardware, including NVMe SSD boot support
• Windows Secure Boot for malware prevention
• Faster shutdown, startup, sleep, and resume times

(Image credit: Shutterstock / DC Studio) Analysis: What does this mean for would-be RX 9070 buyers in practical terms?

If you’re confused at this point, don’t worry. Any modern PC will support UEFI and will be fine with a new RDNA 4 graphics card (the RX 9070 models are about to land, of course). You may, however, need to enable UEFI mode and AMD’s FAQ on this matter provides a full explainer on how to do so.

If you’ve got a Windows 11 PC, it requires UEFI anyway – note the Windows Secure Boot feature AMD mentioned above, well, that’s required for better security on Windows 11 machines. (I should note that while Secure Boot is part of Microsoft’s official Windows 11 system requirements, it’s possible to fudge your way around it, but it’s not recommended).

Those with a PC so old it doesn’t offer a full UEFI mode on the motherboard are not likely to be wanting to run a cutting-edge GPU in the system anyway. There may be some niche cases where this happens, mind you, which is why AMD is issuing this warning – but the vast majority of folks don’t have to worry here. They simply must ensure that they are running full UEFI mode (very likely the case), not a legacy compatibility mode with their motherboard firmware.

Indeed, an RX 9070 GPU may even work with said legacy mode, but as it’s officially unsupported now, you can expect flakiness of all kinds and a generally poor experience (and some key features will certainly be missing, like SAM or Smart Access Memory).

Via VideoCardz

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The importance of connectivity is such a given these days, it's normally hard for a monitor to stand out by that metric. But the new 34-inch ultrawide HP Series 7 Pro 734pm meets that challenge handily thanks to one of the most comprehensive features sets around, putting it immediately in the running among the best business monitors we’ve tested.

Highlights include Thunderbolt 4 in and out, an additional USB-C input, a multi-port USB hub, ethernet and more. Along with the explicit connectivity of physical ports, this monitor's 5MP pop-up webcam further adds to its connected functionality by enabling a great video conferencing experience.

The 34-inch widescreen form factor also makes for a great basic productivity proposition and the use of LG's IPS Black panel technology puts it at the cutting edge of LCD technology when it comes to inherent contrast and colour performance.

All that said, this is a very expensive display, especially for a 34-inch ultrawide model. That makes the relatively low 3,440 by 1,440 resolution and mediocre pixel density that comes with that a little hard to stomach. Likewise, the limited HDR support included is that much more conspicuous at this price point.

HP Series 7 Pro 734pm: Design & features

(Image credit: HP)

• Nicely engineered
• Fantastic connectivity
• Strong productivity package

Specs

Panel size: 34-inch

Panel type: IPS Black

Resolution: 3,440 x 1,440

Brightness: 400 cd/m2

Contrast: 2,000:1

Pixel response: 5ms GtG

Refresh rate: 120Hz

Colour coverage: 98% DCI-P3

HDR: VESA DisplayHDR 400

Vesa: 100mm x 100mm (bracket included)

Inputs: DisplayPort 1.4 x1 in, DisplayPort 1.4 x1 out, HDMI 2.0 x1, Thunderbolt 4 in with 100W PD, Thunderbolt 4 out with 15W PD, USB-C with 65W PD

Other: 5x USB-A plus 1x USB-C hub, KVM switch, audio out, ethernet

HP's latest ultrawide productivity monitor, the HP Series 7 Pro 734pm, is very nicely put together. The stand base and vertical support are both made from robust alloy and the rest of the chassis is plastic but fairly high quality. Of course, that's the least you'd expect at this elevated price point.

With slim bezels on three sides and a mix of black and silver surface finishes, it's a tidy, reasonably slick device even if you probably wouldn't pick it purely on looks. More likely to swing it in your favour is the outstanding array of connectivity. For starters, you get both Thunderbolt 4 in and out, the former with fully 100W of power delivery for keeping a laptop charged.

There's also a further USB-C input with 65W of power delivery, plus a KVM switch, multiport USB hub and ethernet. That means you could actually share this monitor across two different laptops, keeping both charged and connecting them to a range of peripherals like keyboard, mouse and external storage, all hooked up to the display.

(Image credit: HP)

Oh, and you can also use those inputs to run two PCs fully in parallel thanks to split-screen capability, which includes HP's Device Bridge 2.0 for secure file sharing. For the record, HP Device Bridge 2.0 supports both PC and Mac.

Notably, all the ports including the power connector are located within easy reach on the rear of the chassis. You don't have to reach or peer under the lower bezel to connect any cables and the manner in which they all exit perpendicular to the rear of the chassis helps with cable management, too.

To that you can add a 5MP AI webcam. It pops out of the top bezel, which ensures full physical security and offers built-in AI functionality including face tracking and lighting adaptation.

As for the 34-inch LCD panel itself, it's the latest IPS Black technology from LG with enhanced contrast. However, it offers a pedestrian if conventional 3,440 by 1,440 native resolution, which makes for unimpressive pixel density.

It also only meets VESA's DisplayHDR 400 standard, which means that it's not a true HDR display and doesn't support local dimming. Still, there's decent colour coverage at 98% of DCI-P3 gamut.

HP Series 7 Pro 734pm: Performance Image 1 of 3

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• Punchy IPS panel
• Great webcam
• Low pixel density

The HP Series 7 Pro 734pm sports LG's cutting-edge IPS Black panel tech. On paper it offers much higher inherent contrast than competing IPS screens at 2,000:1. Anything from 1,000:1 up to 1,300:1 is more typical for IPS.

In practice, however, it's hard to see the difference in subjective terms. If you want really good inherent LCD contrast, VA panel tech offers up to 4,000:1 and a more noticeable upgrade in terms of black levels. Of course, OLED and its per-pixel lighting is the ultimate in contrast performance, but that's a whole different type of display.

Either way, IPS Black does make for very accurate colours, something which HP has capitalised on with a very nice factory calibration setup in sRGB mode. You can also choose from DCI-P3 and a range of other gamut presets or go with a user-defined solution.

Strictly speaking, this isn't a professional grade content creation monitor. But it is Pantone Validated and well enough set up for mainstream image and video editing workflows. The HDR 400 certification means there's no local dimming and indeed limited actual HDR support. But it does ensure 400 nits peak brightness and a very punchy over experience. This is a vibrant, pleasant display to use day-to-day.

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The exception to that is the mediocre pixel density. The 3,440 by 1,440 native resolution stretched over the gently curved, 21:9 aspect, 34-inch LCD panel makes for a pixel density of just 109DPI. For context, a 32-inch 4K monitor comes in at about 140DPI, a 27-inch 4K screen at 165DPI.

The result of that lower pixel density includes slightly rough looking fonts and a very slightly pixelated look and feel compared to higher density displays. This is far from unique to the HP Series 7 Pro 734pm, it's the norm for most 34-inch ultrawide panels. But given the four-figure price tag in both the US and UK, that's a little hard to swallow.

Still, the 120Hz refresh and reasonably zippy pixel response, the latter adjustable via four levels of pixel overdrive, certainly make for a versatile display. This isn't a gaming monitor, for instance, but it will turn its hand to that task very well, indeed.

Another highlight is the 5MP AI-powered webcam. It's certainly a cut above the norm for integrated webcams. It offers sharp, clear image quality and good colours. The AI face tracking also works reasonably well, even if it's a little laggy.

Less impressive are the integrated speakers. They put out plenty of volume, but it's a pretty thin, unpleasant din and not even a decent substitute to good laptop speakers, let alone a full desktop audio solution.

HP Series 7 Pro 734pm: Final verdict Image 1 of 5

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HP is asking a lot of money for this 34-inch ultrawide display. In return you get fantastic connectivity and productivity features. There's Thunderbolt 4 in and out, support for two laptops attached and charging at the same time, KVM functionality, split screen, file sharing, ethernet, the works.

The 34-inch widescreen form factor is also great for multi-tasking and generally getting things done, while the IPS Black panel technology makes for a great viewing experience in terms of colours and vibrancy, even if the heightened contrast compared with "conventional" IPS technology isn't exactly obvious.

The 5MP AI webcam also performs better than most integrated webcams and adds to the overall utility and connectedness of this monitor. The one really obvious shortcoming is the 3,440 by 1,440 resolution and resulting low pixel density.

That's very much the most common resolution for a 34-inch ultrawide panel. But at this price point, the low pixel density is pretty conspicuous, something an upgrade to the 5K2K resolution of 5,120 by 2,160 pixels would fix.

Normally, 5K2K wouldn't be in the mix, it's a fairly rare and premium option. But with a price tag into four figures in both the US and UK, you'd be justified to expect a premium experience. As it is, if you're OK with the pixel density, this is otherwise a really excellent productivity display and an exceptional feature set.

For high-resolution displays, we've rounded up all the best 5K and 8K monitors.

President Trump's tariff policy is creating uncertainty for places like Tupelo, Miss. with a manufacturing-dependent economy. It's in a conservative county where Trump got nearly 70% of the vote.

(Image credit: Debbie Elliott)

Nothing Phone 3a Pro: Two-minute review

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro (officially Nothing Phone (3a) Pro but I’m not typing that many parentheses) is the most interesting phone you can buy for less than $500 / £500 / AU$850, and if you’ve been craving something different than the cheerful bubblegum styling of cheap Android phones, you should consider the Nothing Phone 3a Pro no matter your price range.

For a full $140 / £150 / AU$150 less than the cheapest iPhone, the iPhone 16e, you can get the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, which has a larger screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a bigger battery and faster charging, plus more storage and more RAM.

You also get a camera with 3x optical zoom, a feature unheard of at this price range. Most cheap phones give you wide, ultra-wide, and macro cameras, not a real zoom lens.

And all of that comes before I get to the Nothing Phone 3a Pro’s unique design (unique except for the nearly-identical Nothing Phone 3a), which takes a stripped-down approach so far that you can literally see into the back of the phone as if you have x-ray vision.

This see-through look a signature of Nothing Phone devices, along with the cool Glyph LED lights, though the Nothing Phone 3a Pro looks a bit more restrained and polished than previous models. It looks more like a circuitry subway map than an accidental phone autopsy.

The Nothing Phone LED lights are here, in a simple ring rather than an enigmatic ‘Glyph’ arrangement like I saw on the first two Nothing Phone devices. The Glyph system is more than just decorative, it’s actually quite functional and a bit nostalgic.

I remember when the LED lights were a key selling point for cell phones and I’d spend time customizing my friends’ light cues along with their designated ringtone. Nothing Phone 3a Pro let me do that again, assigning light patterns to my friends and family. I even had fun banging out my own patterns on the glyph-maker software.

I give Nothing a lot of credit – there are few phones with a feature like the glyph that is this fun. Most phones are just a slab of glass with cameras on the back. Samsung might give you a pen, but you pay a lot for it. With the Nothing Phone 3a Pro (and Nothing Phone 3a), you get the unique glyph feature that's entertaining on its own and adds unique flair to your calls and alerts.

That said, this is still a decidedly bargain phone, with a less-powerful chipset inside and limited support for US networks. I saw plenty of lag and stuttering performance on this phone, more than I’ve see on slightly more expensive and powerful phones like the OnePlus 12R or even the Google Pixel 8a.

I had no problem using my Nothing Phone 3a Pro on AT&T’s network in the New York area. Nothing says some users might have to call AT&T or Verizon to have their phone’s IMEI (a network identifier) whitelisted, or approved, by the carrier. T-Mobile fans should have no problem at all.

Performance issues aside, it’s almost sad that Nothing hasn’t created an even more premium device above the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, because it’s clear that plenty of work went into the interface and design, and phone fans who normally shun cheap phones might enjoy the minimalist and unique NothingOS. Don't knock it until you've seen it.

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro feels special. This isn’t a pared back phone like the Galaxy A56, which is like a Diet Galaxy S25. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro improves on previous Nothing Phones with a more durable design, a better display, versatile cameras, and faster performance all around. This is the best Nothing Phone ever, and this is one bargain phone you shouldn’t ignore.

Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: price and availability

• $459 / £449 / AU$849 with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage
• Available in the US through Nothing Beta program

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro will be available worldwide in one configuration for $459 / £449 / AU$849. You can choose a white or shiny grey exterior and get 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage inside. That’s a respectable amount of storage and RAM for the price – much more than the 8GB/128GB you'll get on the Samsung Galaxy A56.

While not quite this cheap, for a bit more you can buy the Google Pixel 8a or OnePlus 12R. Both of those phones get discounted frequently to match the Nothing Phone 3a Pro’s price, but those phones were both new in 2024. Samsung’s new Galaxy A56 will cost about the same as the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, but that phone won’t hit the US until much later this year.

Most of the world can simply order the Nothing Phone 3a Pro through Nothing.tech or a retail partner, but in the US there are a couple of hoops to jump through. Nothing saves money by cheaping out on radio bands, so the Nothing Phone 3a Pro doesn’t support every single band on the three major US carriers.

If you use T-Mobile in the US, you’re in luck with the most supported bands, but AT&T support lags a bit, and Verizon users will be missing enough bands that it might make sense to look elsewhere if you need the best cell service possible.

For this reason, Nothing sells the Nothing Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro in the US under a ‘Beta’ program so that users will be aware of what they are missing. I used the Nothing Phone 3a Pro in the New York area on AT&T. I got a text message from AT&T right away that my phone wasn’t supported. I ignored the message and used the phone normally for the rest of the week and I had no noticeable issues. Network speeds were good.

• Value score: 5/5

Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: specs

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip, which is a fairly new platform from Qualcomm, so it can support all of the latest software as well as upcoming AI features, should Nothing decide to add more machine learning.

The most outstanding spec is the 3x optical zoom camera, which is unique in this price range. Nothing uses periscopic lens technology, like you’ll find on the Galaxy S25 Ultra’s 5X zoom lens, to add reach.

Otherwise, the large display is noteworthy for its high refresh rate and brightness, both of which top Apple’s latest supposed-bargain iPhone 16e. Across the board, you won’t find much better specs on a smartphone without spending hundreds more, and Nothing also gives you the unique Glyph lights around back.

Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: design

• Totally unique transparent design with LED Glyph lights
• A bit thick and heavy, but not too much

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro stands out, even in the muted grey and white color options available. At first glance, friends who saw the transparent back, with its roadmap of flat ribbon cables and antenna lines, asked what was going on with my phone.

Folks who caught a glimpse when the Glyph lights flared always wanted to know what phone I was using.

The design is decidedly tech-forward, and the Glyph light patterns, with their matching sound cues, and the minimalist NothingOS interface only reinforce this feeling. Most phones try to disappear behind the display and the content, but the Nothing Phone 3a Pro begs to be seen from every angle. I was looking for opportunities to place this phone face down so I could watch it ring.

The design is so unusual that you won’t notice it feels a bit cheap. The seams are not as perfectly aligned as the edges on a Galaxy S25 or iPhone 16. The phone is thick – at 8.4mm, it’s thicker than an iPhone 16e or Galaxy A56.

The transparent back is glass: a Chinese knock-off of Gorilla Glass called ‘Panda Glass’ instead of plastic like previous Nothing Phone devices. The camera bump is huge and unapologetic, with textured lines that draw a circle around the frame. The Glyph lights ring the cameras, and can also act like a ring light when you’re shooting.

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro features a new Essential Key, which is a button that will take a screenshot or record a voice memo. It won’t just store these entries, it feeds them into an Essential Space app that analyzes your notes with AI to give you summaries and answers. In practice… it needs work. I hope the Essential Key gets repurposed in a future NothingOS update so that it can do a bit more.

• Design score: 3/5

Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: display

• Big, bright display with a fast refresh rate
• Not as bright in our tests as Nothing claims

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro features a huge, 6.77-inch AMOLED display that can refresh at a variable rate up to 120Hz. It looked bright, colorful, and smooth in my time reviewing the Phone 3a Pro. There was some stuttering, but I suspect the slower chipset was to blame, as the display could handle whatever video content or fast-scrolling lists I threw its way.

I wonder if this display is overkill for Nothing Phone 3a Pro. NothingOS is nearly monochromatic, and in fact there is a monochrome mode if you want to eliminate all colorful distraction from your phone. Maybe Nothing should have developed a unique display to play into those strengths, instead of competing on color and brightness with Samsung and Google.

Nothing claims the Nothing Phone 3a Pro can hit 3,000 nits at peak brightness, but in our Future Labs tests we couldn’t manage half that brightness level. We still saw peak brightness well over 1,000 nits, which is great, but not what Nothing claims.

• Display score: 3/5

Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: software

• NothingOS offers a unique look and plenty of widgets
• Nothing Phone 3a Pro gets 3 years more Android, 6 years more security

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro uses NothingOS on top of Android 15, and NothingOS could really be considered a Theme and Widget combo pack. It doesn’t add a whole lot of useful features to Android, but instead it succeeds by taking away distractions.

By distractions, I mean color and shapes. The look of NothingOS can best be described as a monochrome, low-resolution, dot matrix theme. There's an actual monochrome mode you can enable, but the basic NothingOS theme is mostly black and white, with graphics that reduce iconography, like clouds and the sun in the weather app, to a series of large dots.

It kind of works, if you like this style. Nothing even includes an AI wallpaper generator, a feature very en vogue with the smartphone elite, though in this case the choices are much more limited than you’ll find on a Galaxy or Pixel phone.

On my Galaxy I might create a ‘lamp of flowers in pink and purple,’ with thousands of possible combinations of nouns and colors. On my Nothing Phone 3a Pro I can choose ‘flora’ and ‘iridescent’, and up to 30 total combos. What you get ends up looking like a wallpaper that Nothing might have included with its phone anyway.

If you press the new Essential Key twice, you open a new Essential Space app, where you can find the screenshots that you took and the voice memos you saved. Only the screenshots that you capture using the Essential Key end up here. If you press the power button and volume down, you get a screenshot in your Gallery, but not in the Essential Space. Weird.

Honestly, I didn’t have any use for the Essential Key or Essential Space during my time with the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, and I didn’t feel I was missing anything except a better use for the new button. I rarely take screenshots or record voice memos, and I’m not going to change my behavior for this phone, so if you’re like me, you won’t see the benefit. Hopefully Nothing will add more to make this useful for more people.

• Software score: 3/5

Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: cameras

• Good cameras (but not as good as Nothing's bragging)
• A 3x optical zoom lens is unique at this price

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The people have spoken, and people say they want three cameras, so most cheap Android phones come with three cameras, but none of them give you optical zoom like the Nothing Phone 3a Pro. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro has a clever, versatile array of cameras, making it a solid pick if you need a real zoom lens.

Most phones at this price give you a fine wide-angle camera, a mediocre ultra-wide, and a terrible, low resolution macro camera. The Galaxy A55 and the Motorola Edge 2024 offer that camera setup, for instance. Nothing gives you a lot more camera bang for your buck.

You get a real 3x optical zoom with a periscope lens, which just means it’s more compact than a normal zoom lens. You also get a big 50MP sensor on that zoom lens, in addition to the 50MP main sensor. The ultra-wide sensor is only 8MP, but who cares when you have all that zoom.

The selfie camera is a 50MP sensor as well, which is too much for selfies. I ended up with a file that is six times as large as an iPhone 16 Pro selfie, even though it doesn’t have as much detail or clarity.

The image quality from the Nothing Phone 3a Pro is fine, but not incredible. The Pixel 8a will give you better images in this price range, at least with its main camera, though it only shoots up to 12MP. The Nothing Phone 3a Pro can shoot 50MP images, but you have to dig through settings to make that happen, otherwise you get a standard 12MP file.

It’s clear from the image samples that there is a lot of AI processing going on with the Nothing photos. On the zoom photos, I could get a pretty good shot overall, but if I look closely the image takes on an oil paint quality that makes it clear a computer filled in a lot of gaps and erased all the noise.

Before this phone launched, Nothing teased us by claiming that its new cameras would be as good as an iPhone. It’s not even close, but the Nothing Phone 3a Pro is not a bad camera. It takes much better photos than any Motorola phone I’ve used, and it has more versatility than comparable Samsung Galaxy A-series phones. It’s a solid camera setup for the price.

• Camera score: 4/5

Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: camera samples Image 1 of 7

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(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future) Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: performance

• Performance is good enough to get by
• There are more powerful phones with less style

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Nothing took a step up with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip inside both the Nothing Phone 3a and Phone 3a Pro, but the platform still isn’t quite fast enough to keep up with the demands of Android 15 and NothingOS. I encountered plenty of lag in my time with the phone, often bad enough that the screen would stop responding to taps and then would catch up all at once. It was frustrating, but it didn’t happen too often, not every day.

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro isn’t going to be the best phone for hardcore games like Call of Duty Mobile or PUBG, but it will do fine with casual games like Balatro and Marvel Snap. Vampire Survivors choked the phone when the screen filled with enemies, but it recovered quickly enough that I didn’t lose the round.

Frankly, the competition at this price doesn’t offer much better performance – the Pixel 8a isn’t winning any benchmark crowns. If you want a fast phone for less, the OnePlus 12R is your best bet, otherwise you’ll just need to spend more if you want a serious mobile gaming machine.

• Performance score: 2/5

Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: battery

• Great battery life and excellent charging speeds
• No wireless charging

(Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

Battery life on the Nothing Phone 3a Pro was excellent, and the phone had no trouble lasting me a full day on a single charge with battery to spare. The phone also charges very quickly, though Nothing skimps by not offering any charger in the box, fast or otherwise.

The Nothing Phone 3a Pro can charge up to 50 watts, and I tested it with my own variable charger that can charge up to 50W or more. The Phone 3a Pro charged very quickly, and I got to 100% in just over 50 minutes, which is even faster than Nothing claims. That’s faster than the Galaxy S25 and the iPhone 16.

With a 5,000mAh battery inside (and a very dark, black interface), the Nothing Phone 3a Pro conserves power nicely. In our Future Labs tests, the Phone 3a Pro lasted just under 15 and a half hours, almost the same amount of time as the Samsung Galaxy S25. In my real world tests, I had no trouble taking photos and working through a full day on a single charge.

• Battery score: 5/5

Should you buy the Nothing Phone 3a Pro ? Buy it if...

You like the look
You won’t find anything that comes close to the Nothing Phone 3a Pro design, with its unique transparent back glass and minimal interface.

You like the lights
It’s surprising no other phone maker is using LED lights for notification, but Nothing gives you lights, sounds, and a composer to make your own rings.

You love the price
For everything you get – the versatile cameras, unique design, great battery and charging – this phone is a steal, and worth a look over phones that cost much more.

Don't buy it if...

You play a lot of mobile games
This is not a powerhouse phone; its Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor could sputter at times. Skip it if you need real smartphone power.

You don’t like the look or the lights
There’s not much else going for the Nothing Phone 3a Pro that is unique, besides the design and the low price. But that’s enough for many folks.

You plan on keeping your phone for years
The Nothing Phone 3a Pro will get three years of Android updates, but after that this phone will be far behind even mid-range performers and you may have problems.

Nothing Phone 3a Pro review: also consider

Google Pixel 8a
The Pixel a-series phones are a great value, offering many of the features you’ll find on the flagship Pixel phones, with very similar camera image quality as well.
Read our full review of the Google Pixel 8a

Samsung Galaxy A56
The brand-new Galaxy A56 gives you tons of Samsung AI features and great specs for a price that is comparable to the Nothing Phone 3a Pro.
Read our hands-on review of the Samsung Galaxy A56

How I tested the Nothing Phone 3a Pro

I used the Nothing Phone 3a Pro for a week before this review was published. In that time, I tested the phone extensively, alongside the Nothing Phone 3a, using the same work and personal apps and accounts on each.

I used the Nothing Phone 3a Pro for taking photos, communicating with work colleagues using messages and Slack, and conducting video conference calls. I played games, and edited photos from my Google Photos library.

I connected the Nothing Phone 3a Pro to a Pixel Watch 3 and Nothing Buds. I also connected an Xbox wireless controller to play games. I connected the Phone 3a Pro to my car for multimedia and to other Bluetooth speakers for audio.

I tested the Nothing Phone 3a Pro on my personal AT&T Wireless account in the New York City area, including Connecticut, the Hudson Valley, and New Jersey, with no trouble.

Why you can trust TechRadar

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First reviewed March 2025

With flashing lights, handy new AI-based tools and an approachable price, Nothing's new phones have a lot to offer. They make their debut at MWC 2025.

Maximize your interest earnings with APYs as high as 4.65%.

Nothing's latest budget phones prove that you don't need to spend $600 to get a powerful, feature-packed phone.

• BleeqUp has debuted the world's first 4-in-1 AI cycling camera glasses at MWC 2025
• They feature one-tap video editing and record in 1080p
• They also have headphones and a walkie-talkie feature

At MWC 2025 this week, BleeqUp debuted its new 4-in-1 cycling glasses, packed with technology including an AI-powered camera and headphones.

The new glasses, which the company says are the world's first 4-in-1 AI cycling glasses, offer some serious eye protection for cyclists. They've got a UV400 rating for use in sunlight, anti-fog design, Zeiss lenses, and a wraparound design reminiscent of brands like Oakley.

They're also IP54 rated and compatible with prescription lenses by way of clip-on inserts, and are crafted from lightweight, durable TR90 plastic.

They certainly look the part, but they sound even more impressive under the hood.

BleeqUp Ranger: On paper

(Image credit: BleeQup)

The rather strange name aside, BleeqUp's Ranger glasses boast several tech features that cyclists will love. Specifically, they come with an action camera that can record an hour of 1080p video on a single charge. You can get four more hours of content with an additional helmet-mountable battery pack, but suffice to say they're perfect for recording trail runs, stunts, or of course, road-rage incidents.

There's no need to sift through hours of footage either, as BleeqUp says AI-powered video editing can highlight important moments including "scenic vistas, tense instants, and sudden braking emergencies," overlaid with trip details including your time and route. All of that video can be edited into a single highlight reel with just one tap.

An on-board algorithm also ensures that the video looks like your POV, rather than having the slightly elevated perspective of the action camera, which is a nice touch.

Other features include built-in open-ear headphones that feature walkie-talkie functionality. They probably aren't going to challenge the specialist audio of the best bone-conduction headphones on the market, but it's a nice touch nonetheless, leaving your ears open to ensure maximum awareness while you ride.

There are also hands-free voice controls, a Bluetooth handlebar-mounted remote, and even onboard navigation provided by Google Maps in the US. You don't get a display, but all of the on-board party pieces are powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon W5 chipset.

Launched on Kickstarter in March, BleeqUp's Ranger prices start at $349, with $50 discounts available for early birds.

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• Wasabi report claims 49% of cloud storage spend could just be fees
• Three in five overspent on their cloud budgets in 2024
• Customers are staying because of cost, not what matters to them

Half of UK businesses are overspending on cloud storage because they’re being discouraged from exiting with high egress fees, new research has claimed.

Figures from Wasabi say this is leading to a misalignment between companies’ planned costs and their actual costs, leading firms to go overbudget.

Now, more than two-fifths (44%) of UK businesses are adopting a hybrid approach to storage, combining cloud and on-prem solutions, to control costs.

Cloud storage billing practices continue to be criticized

Although the survey’s findings aren’t particularly shocking (we already know about high egress fees and technical limitations that discourage migrating data between providers), antitrust bodies including the European Commission have already sought to deal with these issues to encourage competition.

Wasabi’s research shows these trends are clearly continuing despite Microsoft’s months-long turmoil in settling on an agreement to enable its users to switch.

Alarmingly, the research revealed almost half (49%) of a typical organization’s cloud storage bill is exclusively spent on fees, with the remaining 51% being allocated to the actual storage capacity. This has led to three in five (62%) either massively or slightly exceeding their public cloud storage budgets within the past 12 months, up from 53% last year – only one in three (33%) were able to align spend with budget, with a tiny 6% spending less than anticipated.

"If you’re familiar with the legacy billing models of cloud object storage services, or IaaS in general, this finding will not be surprising," noted Wasabi Director of Strategy and Market Intelligence, Andrew Smith.

Moreover, Wasabi found despite the priority given to data protection, security, performance, scalability and sustainability when selecting a cloud provider, many organizations are actually citing pricing as the key reason that they’re staying with their current provider.

Wasabi’s VP & GM for EMEA, Kevin Dunn, summarized: “Organisations are being unfairly penalised for using and moving their data by anti-competitive practices like high egress fees and complex pricing models. This is consequently stifling innovation, as data is the lifeblood for unlocking full growth potential.”

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The Trump administration is tapping several other agencies to help deport and arrest those without legal status — a novel step that is prompting some pushback.

(Image credit: Charly Triballeau)