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• Netflix is testing new AI-powered recommendations
• It's live now for iOS users in Australia and New Zealand
• You'll be able to ask for recommendations based on mood

Netflix has long used AI algorithms to recommend new movies and shows to its users, but it's now testing an enhanced experience that can suggest titles to watch based on your mood or whatever criteria you choose.

As reported by Bloomberg, and confirmed by Netflix to The Verge, the test is live now for iPhone users in Australia and New Zealand. For now, it seems the focus is on iOS, but US subscribers are apparently getting this "in the coming weeks and months".

The feature is going to be opt-in for users, at least to begin with, and will be powered by technology from ChatGPT developer OpenAI. As yet we haven't had any official announcement from either Netflix or OpenAI.

It's perhaps understandable that Netflix is taking a low-key approach to the new recommendation feature: the use of AI in movies and shows is under an increasing amount of scrutiny, with serious questions being raised about the creative industry.

How will this work?

Expect a ChatGPT-like experience – though Android users will have to wait (Image credit: Shutterstock / trickyaamir)

We haven't been able to test this out for ourselves at TechRadar, and there's not much to go off in the reports as yet. Being able to get recommendations based on your mood is really the only detail that's emerged so far.

However, given the way movie and show recommendations already work in generative AI bots such as ChatGPT, it's not difficult to imagine the sort of functionality that's heading to Netflix: a more personal, more detailed recommendation experience.

You can already ask ChatGPT to recommend movies similar to classic 90s action thrillers, less than two hours in length, and without excessive violence in them and get some decent answers back. Netflix's own version is likely to work in a similar way.

In other words, you'll be able to make all kinds of requests in terms of recommendations, from genre to setting, and you'll get a bunch of AI-picked movies and shows back – all available in the Netflix catalog, of course.

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• Pouring water slowly from a height results in better coffee extraction
• Researchers found that pouring this way mixes and agitates particles better
• The technique can give you the same flavor with fewer coffee beans

Researchers have discovered the secret to brewing tastier, well-rounded coffee without using any extra beans – and it's the simple gooseneck kettle. This type of kettle has a long, fine pouring spout, which produces a higher-pressure, more precisely controlled stream of water that's the key to a better brew.

Coffee prices have soared in recent months due to factors including climate change (including severe droughts and frosts in Brazil) that leads to poor harvests, increasing costs of production, and increased demand for coffee worldwide. Getting the same flavor from a smaller portion of beans is, therefore, great news for those of us who love to start the day with a mug of pour-over.

As reported by The Guardian, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have found that pouring water slowly from a height creates an 'avalanche-like' effect that results in better mixing of the coffee and water, increasing contact time, and extracting more flavor compounds from the grounds.

They suggest you try reducing the amount of coffee you use by 10% and experiment with pouring from different heights (up to 30cm) to see the changes in flavor profile.

Choose the right kettle

There are plenty of gooseneck kettles around, but I have a couple of particular recommendations. If you want a traditional kettle for the stove, the Stagg Pour-Over Coffee and Tea Kettle from Fellow is an excellent choice.

Fellow is well known for its premium coffee-brewing equipment, and the Fellow Aiden Precision Coffee Maker is the choice of many professional roasters, including my Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) instructor.

Its gooseneck kettle comes in two versions: stovetop and electric. The stovetop version includes a thermometer with a dial on top that shows you when the water has reached the optimal brewing temperature.

In contrast, the electric version has a temperature control that you can set in increments of 1°F.

The Dualit 92960 Pour-Over Kettle is another great option if you're in the UK. It also has variable temperature controls and a hold function that keeps the water at your preferred temperature for up to five minutes while you weigh out and grind your beans. It's a little cheaper than Fellow's electric gooseneck kettle.

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Microsoft has a Windows 10 problem. The problem is that despite the launch of the newer, shinier Windows 11, a large section of PC users are stubbornly refusing to upgrade, and instead sticking with the almost 10-year old operating system.

While that might not seem like a huge problem for Microsoft – after all, people are still using a version of its Windows OS, even if it’s not the latest – the company has also announced that Windows 10 is fast approaching its ‘End of Life’ date of October 14,2025.

After that date, Microsoft will no longer provide updates, including security patches for Windows 10 – leading to anyone still using the OS being potentially at risk as new security threats emerge. So, Microsoft’s problem is that it has a hard deadline (which it imposed itself, to be fair) to get people to move from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Unfortunately, it’s currently doing a terrible job of it.

According to GlobalStats’ most recent numbers (from last month), 54.23% of Windows PCs are running Windows 10, while 42.66% are on Windows 11. While the gap is narrowing, the fact that Windows 10 remains the most-used version will no doubt be disappointing to Microsoft. The race is now on to get Windows 10 users to move to Windows 11 – but what can Microsoft do?

The old ways aren’t working

(Image credit: eamesBot / Shutterstock)

Microsoft has so far taken a carrot and stick approach to tempting people to move to Windows 11, though it has tended to be more stick-heavy than I’d have liked.

Carrot-wise, Microsoft initially offered the Windows 11 upgrade for free for people moving from Windows 7 and Windows 10. While this was only a limited-time offer, various methods remained that allowed people to continue to upgrade for free, and up until recently it seemed Microsoft was happy to turn a blind eye – I assume as it at least meant people were moving to Windows 11.

To be fair, it was a good move – offering it for free took the sting out of having to upgrade to a new operating system after being told repeatedly by Microsoft that Windows 10 would be ‘the last version of Windows’. It’s also similar to Apple’s approach with its rival macOS operating system, which releases new versions every year, but which are always free.

The free offer was enough to make me upgrade my Windows 10 PCs to Windows 11, and while I’m sure it also tempted people who would have otherwise stayed on the older version if they had to pay, clearly it wasn’t enough to get everyone to shift.

For a start, due to some odd system requirements for Windows 11, there were people with perfectly good Windows 10 machines that could not upgrade due to their device not coming with a TPM (Trusted Platform Model). In those cases, they could either buy a new Windows 11-compatible device or stick with their current device and stay on Windows 10. That was obviously an easy choice for a lot of people.

Also, while Windows 10 is far from perfect, it is also a very solid operating system, so I completely understand people who are perfectly happy to keep using Windows 10 as they know it works well, and they are familiar with using it. Windows 11 is very similar to Windows 10, but there are a few things that could be frustrating for people coming from Windows 10 (especially how the Taskbar works).

And moving to a new operating system always brings some degree of risk. If your PC is running great with Windows 10, would you really want to jeopardize that by upgrading to Windows 11 and introducing problems due to incompatibilities and other bugs?

So, with some Windows 10 holdouts not being tempted by the carrot, Microsoft switched to the stick. This mainly involved showing ads and pop-ups encouraging people to upgrade to Windows 11 – and some of these can be annoying and intrusive if you’re using your PC for important tasks.

Instead of gently bullying people to make the switch, it’s ended up annoying a much larger group of Windows 10 users – and in some cases I can imagine it’s made people even more reluctant to move to Windows 11.

So, with the clock ticking, what can Microsoft do to convince people to move to Windows 11? While I fear the company will keep using its ‘stick’ approach until everyone is so fed up they install Windows 11 just to shut Microsoft up, I have a few better suggestions.

1. Forget AI, give people real reasons to upgrade to Windows 11

(Image credit: Future)

If you were to ask anyone at Microsoft why you should use Windows 11, they’ll probably say because of the artificial intelligence and Copilot features (perhaps because they’re worried CEO Satya Nadella is eavesdropping on the conversation).

AI, and Microsoft’s integration of it via the Copilot app in Windows 11, is the big obsession for the company, and while recent Copilot-centric events have done a better job of selling Microsoft’s vision of AI, the truth is that the company’s excitement about Copilot just isn’t being matched by consumers.

This is mainly because Microsoft has failed to show how Copilot can make people’s lives easier. Instead it’s focused on frivolous things such as image generation and email summaries, which might be fun for a few minutes, but the novelty quickly wears off.

However, if Microsoft showed some of the things Copilot can do that rival AI chatbots can’t, and explain how these can help you with tasks you perform every day, then people will be much more interested.

Some of these features are exclusive to Copilot+ PCs – which are devices that come with an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) for performing AI tasks on the device (rather than via the internet), so if Microsoft wants people to ditch their old Windows 10 device and buy a new Copilot+ PC, then it’s going to have to do a much better job at showcasing the benefits that AI and Copilot brings to Windows 11.

2. Fix the taskbar

(Image credit: Microsoft)

One of the biggest changes with Windows 11 was the taskbar which runs along the bottom of your screen. As well as making a visual change that moves icons to the center of the screen, rather than at the left-hand side of the taskbar, which has been the norm since Windows 95, Microsoft made some background tweaks to how the taskbar works. The problem is, it made Windows 11’s taskbar worse to use than Windows 10’s.

This is particularly evident when you want to drag and drop files from your PC onto an app icon on your taskbar. In previous versions of Windows, this would open the file in that app (as long as it was compatible). With Windows 11, you can’t do that. Nor can you move the taskbar to the side of the screen (or the top) – something that a lot of people like to do.

Trying to get people to move to your new product becomes much harder when there are key areas where the new product is worse to use than its predecessor. After all, why would you go to the trouble and expense to upgrade if you lose features?

Microsoft has said it is working on bringing those features back to Windows 11’s taskbar, but it’s been several years now, and the issues remain. Making this a priority for the expected influx of Windows 10 users when the End of Life period starts would be an excellent idea.

3. Stop releasing bad updates

(Image credit: Stokkete / Shutterstock)

It’s fair to say that Windows 11 is going through a phase at the moment where it seems that every update that Microsoft releases for the operating system breaks as many things as it fixes.

This happens to operating systems – Windows 10 also suffered from a spate of bad updates a few years ago, and macOS has had its fair share of broken updates – but the timing of Windows 11’s update woes is very unfortunate.

It’s led to months of bad headlines for Microsoft, and that’s going to shake the confidence of anyone thinking of upgrading.

And, because Windows 10 is now 10 years old, it’s a far more stable operating system than Windows 11, which again could put people off moving from Windows 10 to 11.

So, how can Microsoft fix this? It won’t be easy, but making sure every update is thoroughly tested by its employees, as well as its legions of Windows Insiders, who are users who signed up to help test early versions of software.

This would mean lengthening the time each update takes to come out, but that’s not a bad thing (outside of critical security fixes). It’s better to have fewer, more stable, updates, than rush out an update that breaks people’s PCs and frustrates people. Having fewer prompts to restart my PC and install an update would also be very welcome.

4. Cut the ads…

(Image credit: Ollyy / Shutterstock)

One of the most obnoxious things about Windows 11, and likely a big reason why people are hesitant to upgrade, is because Microsoft is increasingly adding adverts to the operating system, with banners and icons appearing in places like the Start menu and within certain windows.

It’s pretty annoying, and feels a touch desperate when it’s yet another advert begging you to sign up to OneDrive or PC Games Pass. The company has also been blasted for including adverts for its games like Avowed, and it all makes Windows 11 feel a little cheap. It also makes your own PC feel less like you actually own it.

Dropping these ads would be incredibly welcome, and would boost Windows 11’s reputation. This is probably very unlikely that Microsoft would entertain this idea, as it really wants to get people to pay for more of its products and services, and ads in Windows 11 seem to be the way the company wants to do this, but that doesn’t stop it from annoying its users.

So, if cutting the ads in Windows 11 is a non-starter, how about making the adverts less annoying and frustrating? I have an idea…

5. …or make Windows 11 free forever

(Image credit: Sergey Kisselev / Behance.net / Microsoft)

I don’t mind adverts in free things, be it free-to-view TV shows or websites, but putting them in a product I’ve paid for is a major bugbear for me.

So, if Microsoft continues to have adverts in Windows 11, it could at least make Windows 11 free – permanently. This would justify the use of adverts (the company needs to make money, after all), and means those ads were a small price to pay for a free operating system.

It would also mean people stopped looking at loopholes and workarounds to get Windows 11 for free. And making upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 as easy, and cheap, as possible could be another big win for getting people to drop the old operating system. It'd also mean Microsoft could keep its beloved ads (it could even offer an ad-free version of Windows 11 for a small fee) as well.

Regardless, Microsoft needs to do something fast if it wants people to move from Windows 10 to Windows 11 ahead of October, and what it’s doing at the moment just isn’t cutting it.

What Microsoft doesn’t want to happen when Windows 10’s End of Life hits is a load of people who will continue to risk using Windows 10 or – worse – switch to an alternative such as Linux. This is an important time for Windows 11, and Microsoft needs to get it right. But will it?

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Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Saturday, April 12 (game #1174).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,100 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1175) - hint #1 - Vowels How many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 4*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1175) - hint #2 - repeated letters Do any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 2.

Quordle today (game #1175) - hint #3 - uncommon letters Do the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1175) - hint #4 - starting letters (1) Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1175) - hint #5 - starting letters (2) What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• S

• K

• S

• W

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1175) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1175, are…

• SHALE
• KINKY
• SHORN
• WHOOP

I had a run of Quordle where I thought it was so straightforward I’d set a stopwatch to see how quickly I get the four words. Now, I’m really glad I didn’t do that because it’s getting increasingly taxing – and slow.

Hard, though, is healthy. It’s good to stretch your brain and mine had to do a lot of work before it got WHOOP and KINKY.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Daily Sequence today (game #1175) - the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1175, are…

• DUCHY
• MISER
• DOWEL
• ALIKE

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1174, Saturday 12 April: BLIND, OVOID, CACHE, THING
• Quordle #1173, Friday 11 April: FOLLY, PITHY, SCOWL, CURLY
• Quordle #1172, Thursday 10 April: LEAST, SEWER, UNTIE, NOOSE
• Quordle #1171, Wednesday 9 April: LITHE, LEFTY, KNOLL, MULCH
• Quordle #1170, Tuesday 8 April: WIDTH, VISOR, MEDAL, BROOK
• Quordle #1169, Monday 7 April: BROTH, SHOUT, BRUTE, CABIN
• Quordle #1168, Sunday 6 April: AMBER, GAUZE, STORE, SLICK
• Quordle #1167, Saturday 5 April: GUSTY, VAULT, WHINE, BEGAT
• Quordle #1166, Friday 4 April: OAKEN, LOOPY, CURIO, BUTTE
• Quordle #1165, Thursday 3 April: ASCOT, JETTY, DRUNK, JOLLY
• Quordle #1164, Wednesday 2 April: INDEX, QUEEN, INCUR, STOLE
• Quordle #1163, Tuesday 1 April: HUMUS, BALMY, WORRY, ERECT
• Quordle #1162, Monday 31 March: RECUT, MOODY, WHERE, BRACE
• Quordle #1161, Sunday 30 March: CRIME, DRINK, CLOVE, TRUER
• Quordle #1160, Saturday 29 March: LATER, ODDLY, CUMIN, AGREE
• Quordle #1159, Friday 28 March: TERSE, MUSHY, PROVE, FROND
• Quordle #1158, Thursday 27 March: CRONE, APNEA, LIGHT, AWOKE
• Quordle #1157, Wednesday 26 March: LEFTY, NOOSE, NOISE, TRIAD
• Quordle #1156, Tuesday 25 March: SNEER, WATCH, FLORA, STAIN
• Quordle #1155, Monday 24 March: FLOUT, SMASH, RAZOR, SMALL

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, April 12 (game #405).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #406) - hint #1 - today's theme What is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Orange door hinge

NYT Strands today (game #406) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• LATHE
• DEAR
• POSER
• SHELF
• ROAD
• PREY

NYT Strands today (game #406) - hint #3 - spangram letters How many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 11 letters

NYT Strands today (game #406) - hint #4 - spangram position What are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

First side: left, 4th row

Last side: right, 8th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #406) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #406, are…

• HELLO
• FLEW
• PILOT
• QUEEN
• HEIGHT
• PLAQUE
• SPREAD
• SPANGRAM: COLOR RHYMES

• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 hints

Today’s theme is a callback to a 2010 interview with Eminem, in which he tells 60 Minutes that it annoys him when people say “nothing rhymes with orange”. It’s just the way you pronounce it, he says, as he goes on to demonstrate the numerous things that rhyme with orange if you’re Eminem – including porridge, jorridge, four-inch and door hinge.

Without this crucial piece of information I was completely in the dark as I searched for what appeared to be utterly random words. Had I known I was searching for slim shadys, and all the other slim shadys were just imitating, I may have been quicker.

Even armed with the knowledge that all of these words are COLOR RHYMES (HELLO yellow, FLEW blue, QUEEN green, etc), I still had to use Google to find out what rhymes with PILOT. Hopefully it wasn’t just me who was stumped.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Saturday, 12 April, game #405)

• GRIMY
• FILTHY
• MUDDY
• POLLUTED
• STAINED
• UNKEMPT
• SPANGRAM: DIRTY WORDS

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Saturday, April 12 (game #671).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #672) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• PRESENT
• CAPER
• ELDER
• ROMAN
• LOGAN
• SWIPE
• POCKET
• TYPEWRITER
• GOOSE
• SANS
• ABSENT
• PINCH
• LATE
• GOTHIC
• NICK
• EXCUSED

NYT Connections today (game #672) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Thievery 
• GREEN: Student record
• BLUE: Typeface
• PURPLE: Add a word for small fruits

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #672) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: STEAL 
• GREEN: ATTENDANCE STATUS 
• BLUE: FONT-MODIFYING WORDS 
• PURPLE: __BERRY 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #672) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #672, are…

• YELLOW: STEAL NICK, PINCH, POCKET, SWIPE
• GREEN: ATTENDANCE STATUS ABSENT, EXCUSED, LATE, PRESENT
• BLUE: FONT-MODIFYING WORDS GOTHIC, ROMAN, SANS, TYPEWRITER
• PURPLE: __BERRY CAPER, ELDER, GOOSE, LOGAN

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

A rare Connections without any mistakes for me today, and a chance for lots of players to get the purple group.

I used to own a TYPEWRITER when I was younger and would type out interviews and articles for my fanzine on it.

Over time, the ink ribbon wore out but rather than buy a new one – which most sensible people would do – I would write over the faded words with a black pen.

It was ridiculous, but I’d put together six 48-page magazines using this method and then photocopy them. So really I should have got FONT-MODIFYING WORDS far quicker than just my third group.

I didn’t, because memories of being LATE, ABSENT or EXCUSED still loom large in my mind, as that was the story of my school days (and also the explanation for the many large gaps in my knowledge).

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, 12 April, game #671)

• YELLOW: SHORT PERIOD OF TIME BIT, FLASH, JIFF, SEC
• GREEN: DO WRONG ERR, FALL, SIN, STRAY
• BLUE: N.B.A. PLAYER BUCK, NET, SPUR, SUN
• PURPLE: STARTS OF AFRICAN COUNTRIES BOTS, CAME, KEN, TAN

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

The OnePlus Open was well-received on its release in October 2023 (we described it as “the only foldable phone that doesn't compromise” in our OnePlus Open review), so it was more than a little disappointing to hear that a much-rumored OnePlus Open 2 won’t be hitting shelves any time soon.

In a statement posted to the OnePlus Community forum in February, OnePlus announced that it had “made the decision not to release a foldable” in 2025, noting that Oppo – OnePlus’ sister company – is now “taking the lead in the foldable segment” with the Oppo Find N5 (which, incidentally, is still not available outside of China at the time of writing).

"This is not a step back, it’s a recalibration," OnePlus explained at the time – but what does that mean, exactly? We asked the company to elaborate on its reasoning during a recent sponsored visit to OnePlus HQ in Guangdong, China. Rudolf Xu, Senior Product Marketing Manager for OnePlus, had this to say:

“In the foldable industry, the common challenge for every smartphone maker is [working out] how to make the phone slimmer, lighter, and the crease less visible, while also, at the same time, not sacrificing other key specs when you are trying to solve those challenges,” Xu told TechRadar.

“At OnePlus, we want to bring the best possible experience [to the user]. If you look back at the OnePlus Open, even up until today, it still has very competitive specs, honestly. It’s more about a timing situation. We are thinking about how we want to solve those [aforementioned] challenges in a better way. That’s why we decided not to launch a foldable this year.”

The OnePlus Open, even up until today, still has very competitive specs.

Rudolf Xu, OnePlus

It’s clear, then, that a desire to bring meaningful (i.e. not iterative) innovation to the foldable market lies at the heart of OnePlus’ decision to delay its foldable plans – but there are economic factors at play here, too.

Xu explained: “There's also a figure I can share [that will help justify our decision]. If you check the latest Counterpoint research, foldable shipments increased by 2.9% year-over-year in 2024, which was actually lower than expected. The foldable market is increasing, for sure, but it will still take time for foldables to become mainstream and to really, let's say, cross the chasm and become a product for the majority [of people].”

The OnePlus Open is still among the best foldable phones in 2025 (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)

In other words, the foldable market simply isn’t yet big enough to make regular product launches economically viable – at least for OnePlus.

Samsung continues to release book- and flip-style foldables on an annual basis (the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 are next on the agenda), but it’s true that the South Korean giant has more resources at its disposal, not to mention a much larger user base.

The good news is that the OnePlus Open 2 isn’t just a pipe dream. OnePlus confirmed in its aforementioned statement that it’s not withdrawing from the foldable market entirely – “our decision to pause on foldables for this generation does not signify a departure from the category,” the brand explained. And given that we’re not expecting a new model in 2025, it’s safe to assume that the OnePlus Open 2, when it does eventually arrive, won’t just be a rebadged Oppo Find N5 (though we are huge fans of that particular device).

What do you think about OnePlus' decision, and the state of foldable phones in 2025 more generally? Let us know in the comments.

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The war in Ukraine is now largely being fought with drones. Ukraine made 2 million last year. Drone makers churn them out in factories and mom-and-pop operations like one in a Kyiv basement apartment.

(Image credit: Anton Shtuka for NPR)

Spectrum has the best overall internet service in Traverse City, but there are solid alternatives if you're outside its coverage area.

The yearly competition between the small liberal arts college lauded for its "great books" curriculum and the famed school for naval officer training began in the early 1980s. Several attendees recounted the legend that a discussion between a St. John's College student and the Commandant of the Naval Academy led to the latter's challenge that his midshipmen could beat Johnnies at any sport.

(Image credit: Tyrone Turner)

Last I checked (and surprisingly, I check pretty often), Dell is still the top monitor brand in the world. They dominate the display game primarily due to their professional monitor line-ups. In 2025, they will continue to put out spectacular panels for their business customers, offering what the people need and will need in the foreseeable future. The UltraSharp line-up has led this charge of premium office monitors for quite some time, with the U3225QE as the newest release.

Unless you have a super simple setup and you can get away with plugging your laptop directly into your monitor over HDMI, and then your setup is complete, most people benefit from a dock in one way or another. It may not be used heavily every single moment, but having a dock where you can plug in other cables, plug-in drives, or accessories and access your computer can be super handy. Another thing that not many setups have, but many would benefit from, is a KVM dock.

Dell's U3225QE continues the legacy Dell has set forth with a gorgeous panel, the world's most comfortable display, an integrated Thunderbolt Dock, and a KVM switch.

This is easily one of the best business monitors for those working on multiple devices in the professional space.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) Dell U3225QE: Price and Availability

The Dell UltraSharp 32 4K Thunderbolt Hub is priced at $949.99 and is available at Dell and other business monitor resellers. It is backed by a 3-year Advanced Exchange Warranty, which includes access to the premium panel exchange. One thing to note is that only a mere fraction of Dell monitors are purchased through Dell, and most are purchased through a third party.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) Dell U3225QE: Unboxing & first impressions

The box for this Dell Monitor was a little different than the standard brown box I've expected from most monitor manufacturers. This one was in a black box with a photo of the monitor on the front and prominent Dell branding. Once unboxing, though, everything felt familiar.

Within the contents are the monitor, a stand, a Thunderbolt 4 Cable, a DisplayPort Cable, a USB-C to USB-A cable, and the IEC power cable. The monitor stand and base are the same as those used by Dell for years. It works well, has integrated cable routing, and is height-adjustable.

However, it also takes up a lot of space. So, I usually opt for a monitor arm. Thankfully, as most monitors are these days, this monitor has a VESA mounting capacity, so I could put this display on the Mount-It monitor arm I had set up already.

Once I got the monitor arm mounted, the other things I noticed immediately included the pop-out ports, the plethora of ports on the back, the fantastic display, and my appreciation for IEC monitors in general.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) Dell U3225QE: Design & build quality Specs

Size: 31.5” (4K UHD, 3840 x 2160)
Panel Type: IPS Black (3,000:1 contrast)
Refresh Rate: 120Hz
Color Accuracy: 100% sRGB, 99% DCI-P3 / Display P3, Delta E < 1.5
Brightness: 450 nits (typ.), 600 nits peak HDR
HDR Cert: DisplayHDR 600
Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4, 2x DisplayPort 1.4 (in/out), 1x HDMI 2.1, 2.5GbE RJ45, 7 USB downstream, 3.5mm audio-out

Dell's monitors all look like they belong together. This one is no different. It's a black panel front with minimal bezels, a light grey plastic backing, and ports at the bottom middle of the back of the display. Another thing that I appreciate about Dell is that there is minimalist branding all around. That makes it an easy choice to toss this monitor on my testing desk and be able to leave it there without it looking like a branding piece or a gaudy flashy display.

Dell also made sure to include some front-facing ports since this is a Thunderbolt dock as well. There is a pop-out grouping of ports on the left-hand bottom bezel, allowing for ease of access when needed, and then it can be clicked back in place when not in use.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future) Dell U3225QE: In use

I'll speak quickly to a few different use cases for this monitor. This display is fantastic for people who need an all-in-one display in an office or workspace, especially if you have multiple devices. This monitor is also great for the home office and can be used for work and play, all on the same display. Another use case would be for videographers looking for a significant multi-use display.

For my use case, I have the Dell UltraSharp 32 4K Thunderbolt Hub Monitor on my secondary desk, which is directly behind my main desk. I have it on my Flexispot E7 Plus desk, with a Grovemade desk shelf, a Mount-It Monitor arm, and a Grovemade desk pad. I added a nice BenQ lightbar to the top and a few other gadgets around the desk to finish it.

For the last few weeks, I've had this monitor as my computer and peripheral testing area, making it super easy to plug in any laptop to the USB-C cable to charge and run data and video, all to the built-in hub on the back of the monitor. I can also run any HDMI or DisplayPort to the monitor, making it easy to plug in any desktop I am testing, any gaming system for after-hours fun, an Apple TV (for the screensavers and aesthetic vibes), and just about anything else. All of this without a dock since the monitor has it all built-in.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)

Translating this to the business world, this could be your all-in-one display. It's got super rich IPS Black colors, even though it's not running an OLED Panel, so it will look great with your content, no matter what you're doing on it. It's a 120Hz refresh rate, making the display buttery smooth, especially when you pair it with the 4K resolution and great colors. All around, the picture is brilliant. I'd suggest this as your only monitor if it fits the specs and price you're looking for.

Regarding features, the monitor has a built-in KVM on top of the Thunderbolt Dock, which I have already discussed. What's great about a built-in KVM is that you can switch displays for multiple computers/devices and swap around your inputs and peripherals simultaneously. Picture this: the Dell UltraSharp 32-inch 4K is your only monitor. You work from home. You can easily have your work machine plugged in, whether it is a laptop or a desktop. During the day, you can quickly finish your work on this brilliant panel, knocking out multitasking or project management, coding, writing, or virtual meetings. Then, when you're on lunch, you can press a button and swap your mouse, keyboard, webcam, mic, and any other accessories you want over to your personal laptop to check on the game, check your personal emails, work on your side project, video call a family member, or whatever else. Then, you can swap right back to your work machine with another simple press. No more needing multiple keyboards or having all your gear spread across a desk in a cluttered mess. Better yet, thanks to the great inputs, you can even have your gaming system plugged in, so after the workday, you can swap into an evening of gaming if you so choose.

(Image credit: Collin Probst // Future)

Further, if one monitor is insufficient, Dell allows for daisy chaining these monitors, meaning you can still run a one-cable setup. Still, you can have several of these monitors side by side or stacked to give you even more digital real estate.

Sadly, there is no speaker built into this display. I say sadly, but at the same time, I only ever use monitor speakers for the occasional internal Google Meet, where I don't need brilliant audio; I need to be able to hear my teams. So, while it's a loss, I'd be frustrated at the quality if there was a speaker. And, if I wanted a good speaker, I could get the web conferencing variant like the Dell P3424WEB, but then I wouldn't need one of the best business webcams, which have great features in and of themselves.

Dell U3225QE: Final verdict

The Dell UltraSharp U3225QE is a gorgeous monitor that would be a perfect productivity companion for almost everyone. It's got impressive connectivity options, excellent pictures, 120Hz buttery smooth motion, and one of the best-rated eye-friendly screens on the market. It's not perfect, but for the vast majority, it's precisely what you'd want and need.

For more essentials, we've reviewed the best business computers and the best business laptops.

• Doctor Who season 2 episode 2 will be a live-action-animation hybrid
• Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu explain how they prepared to play animated characters in 'Lux'
• The chapter will feature a fully animated villain called Mister Ring-a-ding

Doctor Who's two main stars have revealed the unusual homework they were assigned to prepare for season 2's next episode.

Speaking to TechRadar, Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu discussed the exciting but challenging process of bringing The Doctor and Bel to life in animated form. That's because, if it wasn't clear already, the iconic sci-fi series' next episode will be a live-action-animation hybrid – one that'll see the show's lead duo turned into animated characters.

The second episode of Doctor Who season 2, titled 'Lux', will see the intrepid time traveler and his new companion travel to 1950s Miami. Once there, though, they'll discover a local theater is hiding a terrifying secret. That'll be Mister Ring-a-ding, a fully animated villain who, as teased in Doctor Who season 2's first trailer, kidnaps humans and turns them into cartoon forms of themselves.

Mister Ring-a-ding's appearances in that teaser and Doctor Who season 2's official trailer immediately reminded me of the rubber hose animation style from the US' golden era of cartoons. It's an art form that was primarily used in the 1930s, with companies including Walt Disney Animation Studios, Fleischer Studios, and Walter Lantz Productions imbuing their animated offerings with its surrealist qualities.

Mister Ring-a-ding is the latest Big Bad that The Doctor will face off against (Image credit: BBC One/Bad Wolf Studios/Disney+)

While that animation form influenced some of the visuals in 'Lux', Gatwa and Sethu told me that the style used to bring their character to life actually takes its inspiration from another celebrated animation studio in Hanna-Barbera. With the legendary Time Lord and Bel being transformed into cartoon versions of themselves in the Disney+ show's next entry, they were set some curious homework by showrunner Russell T. Davies before they filmed this season's second installment.

"It was so much fun!" Gatwa enthusiastically replied. "It [filming 'Lux'] was a highlight of shooting this season.

"In the script, each animation style had been noted down for us to see, so we knew the style of animation that was going to be used on our characters. It was like a Hanna-Barbera type of cartoon, so we spent our mornings watching Scooby-Doo.

Something tells me Bel and The Doctor don't like the idea of being turned into cartoons... (Image credit: BBC One/Bad Wolf Studios/Disney+)

"We're serious actors – we do our research!" he continued with a laugh. "But, we needed that to get in the right headspace to act out those scenes. We filmed them in-person, so we had to figure out all of our animated form's movements ahead of time. How does a cartoon think? What does it move like? When and how do we gesticulate like an animated human?"

"It's a lot more heightened than how normal people communicate," Sethu added about one of the best Disney+ shows' next chapter. "So, we were told to watch Scooby-Doo to replicate those exaggerated movements. Those were animated later by our fantastic crew. It was so fun to see how the whole process worked and we were so excited to see what our cartoons looked like once the episode was completed."

For more Who-based coverage, read my review of Doctor Who season 2 episode 1. Alternatively, find out when season 2 will premiere on Disney+ internationally and BBC One/BBC iPlayer in the UK, or learn more about how The Doctor's dynamic with Bel differs from the one he enjoyed with Ruby Sunday.

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• Siri is reportedly getting more AI later this year
• It's not clear if all the delayed features will be added
• Deeper app integrations are tipped to appear

Apple has got itself into quite the tangle with Siri and Apple Intelligence, with promised AI upgrades now officially delayed and the company taking plenty of criticism for it – but at least some of these delayed features could make an appearance later this year.

In a New York Times article recapping some of Apple's recent AI woes, including internal friction over future plans, there's a mention that Siri would get certain upgrades "in the fall" in the US – so probably September time, with the iPhone 17 and iOS 19.

"Apple hasn’t canceled its revamped Siri," the article states. "The company plans to release a virtual assistant in the fall capable of doing things like editing and sending a photo to a friend on request, three people with knowledge of its plans said."

That's not a whole lot to go off – are we just getting some extra photo editing capabilities, or the full suite of delayed features? Ultimately, Apple wants to get Siri on a par with ChatGPT or Gemini, but that may not happen in 2025.

Delayed features

Apple Intelligence has been a long time coming (Image credit: Apple)

The photo editing feature mentioned in the NYT article is one of the Apple Intelligence upgrades promised back in 2024: the ability for Siri to dig deeper into iPhone apps and take actions on behalf of users via voice commands (known as App Intents).

That's just part of the picture though. Apple has also said Siri will get much smarter in terms of context, understanding more about what's happening on your iPhone and more about you (by tapping into some of your personal data, in a private and secure way).

Once Siri gets those features, it'll be better able to compete with its AI chatbot rivals. Just this week, for example, ChatGPT added a memory upgrade that means it can tap into your full conversation history for answers, if needed.

Apple Intelligence features already added to Siri include support for more natural language in conversations, and improved tech help support for your devices. As for iOS 19, expect to hear more about the software update at the start of June.

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LG G5: Two-minute review

The LG G5 is the company’s flagship TV for 2025, and it changes the game for OLED TV tech with a completely new panel design that delivers notably higher brightness than its LG G4 predecessor. I’ll get into the specifics of that in the Picture Quality section of this review, but what you need to know is that with its impressive, mini-LED TV-rivalling brightness, the G5 succeeds brilliantly in bringing the best OLED TVs out of the darkness as a viable option for daytime, bright room viewing.

LG’s G4 relied on a micro lens array (MLA) layer to boost brightness over what conventional OLED TVs were capable of, but the new LG G5 incorporates a new Primary RGB Tandem structure OLED display panel. This uses individual red, green, and blue layers to produce light, and the resulting brightness is not only leaps and bounds better than what the G4 achieved with MLA, but it also yields improvements in color reproduction.

You’d think that the G5’s revamped display panel would command a higher price, but the LG pricing is equivalent to its G4 predecessor. However, at $3,399 / £2,399 / AU$5,299 for the 65-inch model I tested, it’s still very much a premium TV.

Along with higher brightness and richer color, the LG G5 offers a range of features that make it a flexible option for viewing in a range of lighting conditions. These include a new, more effective anti-glare screen, and a Filmmaker Ambient Light Mode that uses the TV’s built-in light sensor to dynamically adjust brightness without sacrificing picture accuracy in the process.

LG’s Alpha 11 AI processor Gen 2 is responsible for a range of AI picture and sound enhancements on the G5. These include AI Picture and Sound modes, voice recognition, and personalized content recommendations.

LG’s webOS 25 smart TV interface has been tweaked with the ability to switch between customized home screen layouts that get triggered by the viewer’s voice, and there are now onscreen wizards to guide you through the process of setting up unique AI picture and sound presets to accompany your custom home screen.

LG’s flagship G-series OLEDs are designed for wall-mounting, and the G5 has an Always Ready mode that lets the TV be used as a frame for displaying photos and art (now including images generated by AI with the TV’s assistance). But it's also a highly capable gaming TV, with support for 4K 165Hz, Nvidia G-Sync, and AMD FreeSync Premium. The G5’s Quick Card gaming portal also provides over 500 titles plus Nvidia GeForce Now, Luna, and other apps, and Xbox Game Pass support should be added during the start of 2025.

While the LG G5 has turned out to be a best-in-class OLED TV option for 2025, many people will be equally pleased with its step-down LG C5 model, which is already looking to be one of 2025's best TVs. The C5 isn't as bright as the G5, but you’ll save quite a bit by going with LG’s mid-range OLED .

LG G5 review: Price and release date

The LG G5 is the brightest OLED TV we've yet reviewed (Image credit: Future)

• Release date: April 2025
• 48-inch: £1,799
• 55-inch: $2,499 / £2,399 / AU$4,199
• 65-inch: $3,399 / £3,299 / AU$5,299
• 77-inch: $4,499 / £4,499 / AU$7,999
• 83-inch: $6,499 / £6,999 / AU$9,999
• 97-inch: $24,999

The LG G5 is widely available in 55- to 83-inch screen sizes. A 48-inch model is also available in the UK, and a 97-inch option in the US, though those models don’t use the same Primary RGB Tandem structure panel as the other sizes, and won't be as bright.

Prices for the G5 series are equivalent to last year’s LG G4 series, despite the inclusion of a new panel design, but are notably higher than the mid-range LG C5 series OLED TVs.

LG G5 review: Specs LG G5 review: Benchmark results LG G5 review: Features

The LG G5 has four HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K 165Hz support (Image credit: Future)

• Fourth-generation panel with Brightness Booster Ultimate
• Filmmaker Ambient Light Mode debuts here
• 4K 165Hz gaming support on PC

A key feature of the LG G5 is a new fourth-generation OLED display panel with Primary RGB Tandem structure. In contrast to previous designs, which used two blue OLED layers plus a third layer with red, green, and yellow elements, the new panel uses individual red, green, and blue layers to produce light.

This “four-stack” structure benefits from increased brightness and enhanced color purity due to the panel’s use of separate OLED layers for the primary colors. Unlike the previous LG G4, the G5 doesn’t rely on a micro lens array (MLA) layer with microscopic lens elements to boost brightness.

LG refers to its new display panel tech as Brightness Booster Ultimate, and it’s accompanied by several other features to boost picture quality in a range of room lighting conditions. The first is an anti-reflective layer that LG says provides 30% higher glare resistance than last year’s G4.

Another is Filmmaker Ambient Light Mode, which uses the TV’s built-in light sensor to map gamma and PQ (the HDR equivalent of gamma) based on room lighting conditions. The G5 also has Perfect Black certification, which confirms that a TV can display less than 0.24 nits in conditions of up to 500 lux.

The G5’s Alpha 11 AI processor Gen 2 enables a range of AI-based picture and sound enhancements, including AI Picture and AI Sound modes. Picture and sound wizards guide you through setting up customized presets based on your response to a series of images and sound samples, and once completed, these can be automatically switched on for the specific users who created them based on voice recognition.

That also goes for the layout of the TV’s webOS 25 Home Screen – if you customize the app selection in your user profile, it'll switch to the layout you prefer when it detects your voice if you use the voice control system at all.

The G5 also gets a gaming boost over last year’s G4, with 4K 165Hz support for PC gaming along with Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium. LG’s Gaming Portal offers over 500 game titles, with support for both Xbox and Luna controllers and Xbox Game Pass (coming in the first half of 2025, according to LG).

Usability features include AirPlay 2 and Chromecast built-in, along with hands-free voice control. The ThinQ screen in the webOS interface lets you configure devices to be controlled via Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Matter and Apple HomeKit, and there’s also a new, streamlined Magic Remote and more advanced AI Chatbot feature that can diagnose picture and sound issues.

• Features Score: 5/5

LG G5 review: Picture quality

The G5's picture looks bright and punchy even in well-lit rooms (Image credit: Future)

• Exceptional brightness for an OLED
• Anti-reflection layer in the screen
• Some issues with certain streaming formats

The LG G5 holds the distinction of being the brightest OLED TV we’ve yet measured at TechRadar. Peak brightness on a 10% HDR white window pattern in Filmmaker Mode measured 2,268 nits, and it was 1,850 nits in Standard picture mode. Those numbers are what we typically expect to see from higher-end examples of the best mini-LED TVs, and they best the Samsung S95D – our previous brightest OLED TV champion – by a sizeable margin.

The G5’s fullscreen HDR brightness measured 331 nits in Filmmaker Mode and 297 nits in Standard mode. That represents a boost over last year’s G4, which measured 257 in Filmmaker Mode, but it’s not the 40% fullscreen brightness boost that LG had previously cited for the G5. Measured in Vivid mode, the G5’s fullscreen brightness was 419 nits, a number closer to LG’s claim.

The G5’s color gamut coverage measured 99.6% for UHDA-P3 and 81.3% for BT.2020 in Filmmaker Mode. Those results are better than what we measured on the G4, and they match the Samsung S95D’s UHDA-P3 coverage.

The average Delta-E value (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what’s shown on-screen) for color accuracy was 1.2, which is excellent. (Any result under 3 is regarded as indistinguishable to the human eye.)

Given the LG G5’s high brightness, there was no need to dim the lights to make the picture look good – contrast, color saturation, and shadow detail all held up nicely even with my room’s overhead lighting on. That’s certainly not something you can say about all OLED TVs, which typically lag behind their mini-LED counterparts when it comes to brightness.

The new G5's new "four stack" OLED panel offers enhanced color performance over last year's G4 (Image credit: Future)

Even with the comparatively subtle Filmmaker Mode active, The Pitt (streamed via Max), a TV show that mostly takes place in a brightly lit hospital emergency room, looked staggeringly bright on the G5.

And darker shows such as Severance (on Apple TV+) could be watched in brighter room lighting conditions without losing black depth and shadow detail. That’s partially due to the TV’s anti-reflective layer, which manages to reduce screen glare without elevating black levels, but also its Filmmaker Mode Ambient Light setting, which uses the G5’s light sensor to adjust gamma (or PQ for programs with HDR) based on room lighting conditions.

Viewing the season 2 final episode of Severance, a scene where Mark S and Helly R chat furtively in the Lumon office showed off all the LG G5's best aspects. The background of the dark workspace was a deep, rich black, and the light from the data terminals bathed their faces with a striking blue and green glow. The refined shadow detail gave the picture a powerful sense of depth that, for me, really drove home the point of why you would spend top dollar for a premium OLED TV like the G5.

An LG G5 review from our colleagues at What Hi-Fi? cited an issue with streamed Dolby Vision movies and shows, resulting in posterization and blocky picture artifacts when watching dark scenes. My G5 review sample showed the same posterization on at least one movie, Alien: Romulus (streamed via Apple TV), though it wasn't an issue on other streamed dark Dolby Vision content I watched.

What Hi-Fi? later reported that an LG software update scheduled for a late April release fixes this Dolby Vision glitch, and after installing a pre-released version of that update, the posterization on Alien: Romulus disappeared, though it created other picture quality issues when streaming from the G5's Apple TV app, adding strange horizontal lines in some dark scenes.

Without these problems, the TV would score five stars for picture quality. These problems are very situational, which means I'm still happy giving the TV an overall score that marks it as best-in-class. Once we've fully tested the wide release version of LG's software update, we will update this review, and if these problems are removed as expected, I'll update this section.

The G5’s motion handling was impressive, with a reference clip from No Time to Die – in which James Bond traverses a rugged hillside cemetery as the camera pans along – showing only minimal judder and blur. This same scene can look downright wobbly on some TVs.

Enabling the TV's Cinematic Movement setting in the TruMotion menu effectively removed any residual motion artifacts without introducing a 'soap opera' effect.

Sports also looked great – the NCAA basketball championship aired during my time testing the G5 – with fast motion looking solid and the TV’s bright, contrast-rich picture bringing out the vivid colors of the players’ uniforms.

• Picture quality score: 4.5/5

LG G5 review: Sound quality

The G5's 1-inch-thin frame is designed for a flush-mount against a wall and the TV comes with wall-mounting hardware (Image credit: Future)

• 4.2-channel speaker system
• Effective AI Sound Pro mode
• Sound Wizard for creating custom sound preset

The LG G5’s built-in 4.2-channel speakers take things up a notch from the 2.2-channel array built into the LG C5. An AI Sound Pro mode provides a virtual 11.1.2-channel upmix that makes a clear difference in the spaciousness of soundtracks when watching movies, but it also thins out the bass.

While Dolby Atmos is supported on the G5, DTS formats, disappointingly, are not. This is a step backwards from the G4, which had DTS support – though this won't be a problem for people using an AV receivers, and some soundbar setups.

Similar to the TV’s Picture Wizard, a Sound Wizard guides you through the process of creating a customized sound preset. This is entirely optional, and this preset doesn’t work when the TV is connected to a soundbar.

A useful WOW Orchestra mode lets you combine the output of the TV’s speakers with the speakers of a compatible LG soundbar when used together, for a bigger overall soundstage.

The movies and TV shows I watched on the G5 all sounded good, with clear dialogue and good spatial positioning of effects, especially with the AI Sound Pro mode active. The sound could also go fairly loud without coming across as strained.

Even so, given how good the G5’s picture looks, it would be a shame not to pair it with one of the best Dolby Atmos soundbars or dedicated home theater speakers.

• Sound quality score: 4/5

LG G5 review: Design

An aluminum pedestal may be an extra cost option for the G5 (Image credit: Future)

• Wall-mount hardware included
• Optional pedestal stand
• New, streamlined AI Magic Remote control

The G5 comes with wall-mounting hardware at all screen sizes, and a pedestal stand is available as an optional extra in the US. In the UK, you can choose if you want the stand or the mount in some sizes.

LG’s sturdy aluminum stand, which I used during my G5 review, allows for both an elevated height to accommodate a soundbar, or a lower height where the TV sits directly on the stand’s surface.

G5 TVs are designed to be wall-mounted, with the thin, 1-inch panel aligning perfectly flat against a wall like a picture frame when you use the dedicated mount.

The TV’s nearly non-existent bezel gives it an 'all-picture' look that adds to the art-like quality, and a connection panel located on the back with bottom and side-mounted ports, along with cable management hardware, lets you hook up sources without detracting from the neat look.

Connections on the G5 include four HDMI 2.1 inputs, an RF antenna input, three USB ports and an Ethernet port.

LG’s new AI Magic Remote for the G5 is more compact and streamlined than previous Magic Remotes, with a flat surface, a reduced button layout, and a smaller central scroll wheel. Unfortunately, not all regions get this new, mostly improved design, though it was included with my review sample in the US.

The UK still gets a design with channel buttons, though it does include new AI keys.

The new AI button provides quick Chatbot access, and there’s also a dedicated button to call up the TV’s ThinQ screen. I never really had a problem with the previous Magic Remote, but some users may prefer the more traditional design of this new version.

• Design score: 4.5/5

LG G5 review: Smart TV and menus

LG's webOS 25 interface has been enhanced with multiple viewer profiles and picture settings that can be activated by voice (Image credit: Future)

• webOS 25 smart interface
• Always Ready feature with 'ambient mode' option
• Quick Cards and Quick Menu for easy app and settings access

The G5 uses LG’s webOS 25 interface, which is one of the best smart TV systems going. Like other smart TV interfaces, the top third is dedicated to a promotional banner (in this case, one mostly directing you to the LG Channels free ad-supported TV portal), alas, but below that is a Quick Cards section that provides hubs for Sports, Games, Music, Home and more.

The Home Card hub provides information about connected wired and wireless sources, which can be accessed using the TV’s remote control. It also lets you connect to Google Home, Matter, and LG ThinQ smart devices, which can be controlled directly from the TV.

The order of apps in the home screen’s middle section can be edited according to which ones you use most, and there’s also a Live TV option that shows a grid of both broadcast TV channels pulled in by the best indoor antennas and ones available on the LG Channels portal.

An Always Ready feature that needs to be enabled in the General menu lets you display images (including from your personal photo library) when you’re not using the TV, including ones that can be generated using AI. When in Always Ready mode, the voice recognition and AirPlay/Chromecast remain active, so you don’t have to power it on to use those functions.

A very useful webOS feature is the Quick Menu, which appears as a transparent overlay on the screen’s left side that lets you select between picture and sound modes, among other settings. You can also access the TV’s AI Chatbot from here, which can be used to guide you through the G5’s many settings and features.

The TV’s AI Picture wizard can be useful for creating a preset that corresponds to your preferences, but I found that the one I dialed in was overly cool-looking for my preference, despite it theoretically following my preferences, and I stuck with Filmmaker Mode instead for most viewing.

While I generally found navigating the TV’s menus to be easy, and was satisfied with the wide range of options for adjusting picture and sound, I found it annoying that the new, redesigned Magic Remote control lacks an input button for switching sources.

It’s easy enough to do that by pressing the Home hub button on the remote and then navigating to a specific source, but input select is nonetheless a button that should be included on every TV remote.

• Smart TV & menus score: 5/5

LG G5 review: Gaming

A Game Dashboard allows for easy gaming-related picture and sound adjustments (Image credit: Future)

• Four HDMI 2.1 ports
• 4K 165Hz, FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync
• 9.2ms input lag (Boost mode)

LG TVs have fantastic gaming credentials, and the G5 continues in that tradition of the best gaming TVs. Its four HDMI ports support 4K 165Hz, FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync. Input lag measured in Game Optimizer mode with a Bodnar 4K input lag meter was 9.2ms in Boost mode, which is about as low as TVs get.

The G5’s Game Card Gamung Hub offers over 500 games and apps, including Nvidia GeForce Now and Luna. (Xbox Game Pass support is coming in the first half of 2025, according to LG.)

When in Game Optimizer mode, a Game Dashboard pop-menu provides quick access to a range of adjustments and presets, which can be selected without pausing the game you’re playing.

The brightness level of the G5 is great here, again, because it means its good for playing in the day time without severe mirrored reflections distracting from what you're trying to focus on.

• Gaming score: 5/5

LG G5 review: Value

LG's new, streamlined Magic Remote (Image credit: Future)

• Priced competitively with premium OLED competition
• Step-down LG C5 OLED also excellent
• Very good overall value

At $3,399 / £3,299 / AU$5,299 for the 65-inch model I tested, the LG G5 is priced higher than another 2025 premium OLED, the Samsung S95F, which has a similarly high brightness as the G5 plus a Glare-Free 2.0 screen that’s even more effective at eliminating reflections in bright rooms.

The G5 is also priced lower in the US than another 2025 premium OLED, the Sony Bravia 8 II, which will sell for $3,999 in a 65-inch screen size… however, in the UK, the Bravia 8 II is actually priced slightly lower than the 65-inch G5, just to mix things

If you don’t require super-high brightness and want to save some money, the LG C5 ($2,699 / £2,699 at 65 inches) is an excellent choice. The C5’s peak brightness is roughly half of what we measured on the G5, but it's full of features and its picture quality is still exceptional, especially when viewed in a light-controlled environment.

Given its fantastic all-around performance, great features, and more affordable cost compared to some of its high-end OLED competition, the G5 earns high ratings for value.

• Value score: 4/5

Should I buy the LG G5?

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

You want to watch in bright rooms
The G5 OLED’s brightness rivals that of premium mini-LEDs. It also features an effective anti-glare screen and a Filmmaker Ambient Light Mode that compensates for brighter rooms without sacrificing picture accuracy.

You want a TV for wall-mounting
With a slim, wall-hugging design, the G5 is specifically designed for wall-mounting and a specially designed bracket is provided.

You want a great TV for gaming
With support for 4K 165Hz, FreeSync Premium, and Nvidia G-Sync, and an impressively low 9.1ms input lag, the G5 is about as good as gaming TVs get.

Don't buy it if…

You don’t want to use a soundbar
The G5’s 4.2-channel speakers deliver more than adequate sound, but a TV this impressive should ideally be paired with a soundbar or external speakers for a complete experience.

You want HDR10+ support
LG TVs support Dolby Vision, but not the HDR10+ high dynamic range format. That could be an issue if you have some 4K Blu-rays that include this format and not Dolby Vision.

You want to save money
LG’s mid-range C5 series OLED TVs aren’t as bright as the G5 series, but they cost considerably less and also provide excellent picture quality and a great array of features.

LG G5 review: Also consider...

Samsung S95F
We haven’t yet reviewed the Samsung S95F, but we have seen it in action extensively and, like the G5, it combines an impressively bright OLED picture with effective anti-screen reflection tech. Initial US pricing for the S95F is also lower than for the G5.

LG C5
The C5 isn’t as bright as the G5, but it’s a great all-around TV that’s also feature-packed for the price, as we observed in our LG C5 review. This mid-range OLED is a good alternative if you don’t need its picture to stand out high ambient light viewing environments.

Sony Bravia 9
Sony’s flagship TV is about as premium as mini-LED gets, and we appreciated its bright yet refined picture and powerful sound in our Sony Bravia 9 review. Like the G5, it’s a pricey option, but a good choice if you prefer to not use a soundbar.

How I tested the LG G5

Measuring a 10% HDR white window pattern during testing (Image credit: Future)

• I spent about 20 hours in total measuring and evaluating
• Measurements were made using Calman color calibration software
• A full calibration was made before proceeding with subjective tests

When I test TVs, I first spend a few days or even weeks using it for casual viewing to assess the out-of-box picture presets and get familiar with its smart TV menu and picture adjustments. I next select the most accurate preset (usually Filmmaker Mode, Movie or Cinema) and measure grayscale and color accuracy using Portrait Displays’ Calman color calibration software.

The resulting measurements provide Delta-E values (the margin of error between the test pattern source and what’s shown on-screen) for each category, and allow for an assessment of the TV’s overall accuracy.

Along with those tests, I make measurements of peak light output (recorded in nits) for both standard high-definition and 4K high dynamic range using 10% and 100% white window patterns. Coverage of DCI-P3 and BT.2020 color space is also measured, with the results providing a sense of how faithfully the TV can render the extended color range in ultra high-definition sources.

For the LG G5, I used the Calman ISF workflow, along with the TV’s advanced picture menu settings, to calibrate the image for best accuracy. I also watched a range of reference scenes on 4K Blu-ray discs to assess the TV’s performance, along with shows streamed from Max, Netflix, and other services.

You can read an in-depth overview of how we test TVs at TechRadar for more information.

• First reviewed: April 2025
• Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Reacher season 4: key information

- Renewed in October 2024
- Filming reportedly starting in mid-2025
- No release date revealed yet
- Reacher returns for another adaptation of Lee Child's novels
- Main cast predicted to return
- Speculation around plot and which book it will follow
- No official trailer yet
- Neagley spin-off officially commenced filming in February

Reacher season 4 is on the way. With season 3 done and dusted, it's time to really start talking about season 4, which was officially renewed back in October 2024.

Prime Video, one of the best streaming services, proudly revealed that Reacher season 3 has become Prime Video’s biggest returning show, thanks to 54.6 million viewers globally within the first 19 days. So, it's certainly one of the best Prime Video shows that's ready to return for more.

Based on the novels by Lee Child, action-packed thriller follows Jack Reacher, an ex-military police officer, who finds himself continuously embroiled in conspiracies and dangerous missions after being wrongly accused of murder.

Each season is filled with big fights and mystery-solving, and season 3 was no different. A tumultuous ending hints at much more to come, so here's everything we know about Reacher season 4 from a release date and trailer to plot rumors and more.

Full spoilers follow for Reacher season 3 and the previous seasons. Potential spoilers for Reacher season 4 will also appear.

Reacher season 4 release date prediction

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There’s no Reacher season 4 release date just yet, but we do know that the show was renewed back in October 2024.

Speaking to The Mirror in February, Child said: “So we’re ready to go on season four. Obviously, we can’t reveal anything yet, but it’s another good’un, I’ll tell you. It’s going to be great.” He added: “I’ll see you next year and we’ll talk about it,” possibly hinting that Reacher season 4 will premiere in 2026.

If we take previous seasons as a guide for season 4, season 1 came out in 2022, season 2 ran from 2023 to 2024, and season 3 in 2025. If Prime Video continues releasing annually, it could well be early 2026.

When Child discussed future seasons of Reacher in an exclusive chat with TechRadar, he revealed filming will commence sooner than you might think: “It’s written and it’s ready to go. It’s going to start shooting in the summer.”

Reacher season 4 trailer: is there one?

(Image credit: Amazon Prime Video)

Given the cast and crew haven’t started filming yet, there’s no trailer to share. Historically, trailers come out a lot nearer to the release of the show. So, for a Reacher season 4 trailer, we imagine a wait until at least late 2025, early 2026.

Reacher season 4 predicted cast

Alan Ritchson will surely reprise his role as the titular, Jack Reacher (Image credit: Amazon MGM Studios)

Full spoilers follow for Reacher season 3.

Based on the Reacher season 3 finale, this is the cast we predict will return for Reacher season 4. Though, at time of writing, these characters are yet to be confirmed. Aside from Reacher himself:

• Alan Ritchson as Jack Reacher
• Sonya Cassidy as Susan Duffy
• Anthony Michael Hall as Zachary Beck
• Maria Sten as Frances Neagley
• Malcolm Goodwin as Oscar Finlay
• Willa Fitzgerald as Roscoe Conklin
• Brian Tee as Francis Xavier Quinn / Julius McCabe

Reacher season 4 plot rumors

Reacher season 3 ended with an almighty brawl (Image credit: Amazon Prime Video)

Full spoilers follow for Reacher seasons 1-3. Plus, potential spoilers for Reacher season 4.

Jack Reacher is a man on a mission, or several missions if you take all seasons so far into consideration. He’s been repeatedly ensnared in conspiracies that put a lot of lives at risk, including his own.

From false murder accusations to going deep undercover to retrieve a lost DEA agent, following Lee Child's novels has given plenty of plot for the show to follow along with.

And season 3 saw Reacher’s feud with villains (new and old), Xavier Quinn and Zachary Beck, come to a head. The finale episode, titled ‘Unfinished Business’, saw Reacher's team break down a crime syndicate, run by Beck, by infiltrating his base. But, in order to do so, he had to come up against Beck's towering bodyguard, Paulie. And that led to an almighty brawl placing brains against brawn.

At the end of it all, he sat down with Neagley and talked about the real reason Reacher gets embroiled in so much trouble, because he hates the "big guy".

For season 4's plot then, the best place to turn is to the books. Season 1 was adapted from Killing Floor, Child’s debut novel, season 2 from Bad Luck and Trouble, his 11th novel, and season 3 from Persuader, his 7th novel. So, they're not going in book order, but they're certainly going from the books.

Neagley tells Reacher how it is (Image credit: Prime Video)

While there’s been speculation around Personal, book 19, being the basis of season 4 given how the flashbacks in Persuader and in season 3 line up with the plot, there's been no confirmation.

Speaking to The Independent though, Child revealed book 22 is one he’d love to adapt: “It was well received but The Midnight Line is one of my favourites because it was an opioid book, but it was written from the point of view of the addict with tremendous sympathy.” Adding: “I wonder if it will ever get made. We have to see whether we ever choose that one, but I’d love to see how it comes out.”

And Child supports that the show can jump around the book order, saying he: “very deliberately wrote the book series so you did not have any prior knowledge. I wanted people to be able to pick up any title anywhere and have a really satisfying story, so we can take the same approach.”

Which direction Reacher season 4 decides to go in is entirely down to Lee Child and showrunner Nick Santora, so we’ll have to wait and see.

Where to watch Reacher

All seasons of Reacher, exclusively on Prime Video (Image credit: Prime Video)

Reacher seasons 1 to 3 can be streamed exclusively on Prime Video. Finished them all and eager for more? Check out these 6 muscular thrillers to watch while you wait.

Will there be more seasons of Reacher?

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It's incredibly likely. Reacher season 4 was greenlit months before season 3 came out, and we wouldn't be surprised to hear about season 5 in a similar way. And, of course, there's all the books that Lee Child has written of the Jack Reacher series — currently totalling 29.

But, it's not just Reacher that'll be on the scene. In October 2024, Prime Video announced a spin-off series, focused on Frances Neagley, a recurring character in the Reacher series. And in February, the show officially went into production with Maria Sten pictured holding the clapperboard for episode one.

While we wait to hear news on more seasons of Reacher, we'll keep an ear to the ground and update you when we can.

For more Prime Video TV-based coverage, read our guides on The Boys season 5, Mr and Mrs Smith season 2, The Rings of Power season 3, and Fallout season 2.