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The 15th Congressional District runs from the east of San Antonio all the way down into the Rio Grande Valley. This majority-Latino district provides a window into the Latino vote in Texas.

Two Americans have won the Nobel Prize in economics for their work on how to smooth boom-and-bust cycles to limit unemployment and inflation.

(Image credit: Jonathan Nackstrand)

President Trump said Sunday that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an "energy ceasefire," but he offered no details on it and Kyiv reported attacks by Moscow on energy sites after his statement.

(Image credit: Andrii Marienko)

As an experienced deals hunter, I was fully under the impression that, following the recent Amazon Prime Big Deal Days event, we wouldn’t be seeing any particularly noteworthy discounts on coffee machines until Black Friday.

Having recently checked Amazon’s listing, however, it seems I’m very much in the wrong. I like to think that doesn’t happen often, of course, and on this occasion I’m more than happy to be told otherwise.

Yes, I’ve found some superb discounts on some of my favourite espresso machines that either match their Prime Day price, or actually beat it. The Nespresso Vertuo Creatista at AU$697 is a couple of dollars cheaper, while the Sunbeam Origins Sense at AU$475.15 is over AU$80 less than what I saw during Amazon’s recent sale.

It’s also pleasing to see the Philips LatteGo 4400 maintaining its discounted AU$799 price tag. It’s not the best I’ve seen, as it was eligible for an extra AU$175 coupon saving during Prime Day 2.0, but this AU$400 saving is still worth shouting about.

There are a few other coffee machines with big discounts right now, which you can view below. And as ever, make sure to view the full selection on Amazon for something that might be more to your liking. And while I’m on the subject of coffee machines, I have to remind you that Breville currently has a birthday sale live on its website, and TechRadar readers can save an extra 10% on already discounted models thanks to an exclusive coupon code.

Vertuo Creatista capsule coffee machine: was $1099 now $697
We rate the Vertuo Creatista as the best Nespresso machine out there thanks to its use of the Vertuo pods, which come in a range of cup and mug sizes and an integrated milk frother. It performs exceptionally well, too, and will brew your morning cuppa in no time at all.View Deal

Origins Sense Espresso Machine: was $799 now $475.15
This attractive bean-to-cup espresso machine from Aussie brand Sunbeam brews a fine espresso. For me, however, its headline feature is a thermometer built into the steam wand and four temp settings for various dairy milk alternatives, so you can get perfectly texturised milk with ease. It also sports a built-in conical burr grinder for precision grinding, and it has easy, one-button cleaning.View Deal

Origins Dual Espresso Machine: was $999 now $575.45
I’ve not used this exact Sunbeam model, but if it’s anything like the Sense above, you’re in for a treat. The main feature of this model is a dual-boiler system, meaning you can pour an espresso and steam milk at the same time, saving you valuable time in the morning.View Deal

Rivelia (EXAM44057W): was $1599 now $1099
Now available for AU$180 less than Prime Day, this is a great price for an excellent, compact bean-to-cup coffee machine. It scored a full five stars in our De’Longhi Rivelia review, due to it being able to consistently serve up a delicious coffee. There's plenty of customisation on offer, so you can tweak the various preset recipes and it uses the brand's LatteCrema technology for expertly frothed milk — it includes carafes to create hot and cold milk foam.

Also available in black for the same price.View Deal

Vertuo Pop+ w/ Aeroccino. 3: was $349 now $189
The Nespresso machine is a slightly larger version of the highly popular Vertuo Pop. The main difference is a larger 1.1L water tank (compared to 600ml with the Pop) and the water tank can be moved to help you better accommodate the machine in your kitchen. Elsewhere, it uses the extensive Vertuo capsule range, with five different coffee sizes.View Deal

4400 Series Fully Automatic Espresso Machine: was $1199 now $799
As mentioned earlier, this machine did go lower in price during Prime Day, but it’s pleasing to see it’s maintained a sub-AU$800 price tag in the week since. I consider it to be an excellent bean-to-cup espresso machine, as it can make 12 coffee-based drinks, all of which are served perfectly time after time. Plus, it's a great option for smaller households due to it having 2 customisable profiles. However, I have to admit that I wasn't too fond of its milk foaming skills in my LatteGo 4400 Series review.View Deal

Forecasters say the storm, which brought heavy rain and coastal flooding, is a preview of what may be in store as California braces for a possibly record-setting El Niño.

(Image credit: Jill Connelly)

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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, October 11 (game #1218).

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 #1219) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• CALAMARI
• MANDARIN
• STATE
• ABBREVIATION
• NICKNAME
• HANDLE
• SHAPE
• WEATHER
• CONDITION
• CONTRACTION
• SITUATION
• BEAR
• ALKYLAMIDE
• STAND
• ELISION
• MELAMINE

NYT Connections today (game #1219) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: Where we’re at
• GREEN: Put up or shut up
• BLUE: Brief words
• PURPLE: As seen on letters and packages

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 #1219) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: STATUS
• GREEN: TOLERATE
• BLUE: WORD SHORTENINGS, OFTEN
• PURPLE: WORDS MADE USING U.S. POSTAL ABBREVIATIONS

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

NYT Connections today (game #1219) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1219, are…

• YELLOW: STATUS: CONDITION, SHAPE, SITUATION, STATE
• GREEN: TOLERATE: BEAR, HANDLE, STAND, WEATHER
• BLUE: WORD SHORTENINGS, OFTEN: ABBREVIATION, CONTRACTION, ELISION, NICKNAME
• PURPLE: WORDS MADE USING U.S. POSTAL ABBREVIATIONS: ALKYLAMIDE, CALAMARI, MANDARIN, MELAMINE

• My rating: Hard
• My score: Perfect

Living and growing up outside of the US put me at a disadvantage for today’s purple group — although I am still not sure I would have seen it even if I was based in the States. Kudos if you did.

I managed to get through without making any mistakes, but this was one of those games where I got by on hunches and luck and never had a strong hold on what the group categories might be.

ELISION was a word that I had not heard of before, but ABBREVIATION, CONTRACTION and NICKNAME all seemed to go together, so I took a chance. I have since discovered that it means “omission of one or more sounds, vowels, consonants, or whole syllables from a word or phrase to make speech faster and easier". Yes folks, it’s a good ‘un.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Sunday, October 11, 2026, game #1218)

• YELLOW: PUT TO USE: APPLY, HARNESS, UTILIZE, WIELD
• GREEN: MONTHLY BILLS: CABLE, ELECTRICITY, INTERNET, PHONE
• BLUE: THINGS YOU MIGHT FIND IN A GLOVE COMPARTMENT: GLOVES, ICE SCRAPER, MAP, REGISTRATION
• PURPLE: ENDING IN GAMBITS: EMPLOY, PATRICK, PERUSE, SYNTACTIC

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.

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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, October 11 (game #1721).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 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 #1722) — hint #1 — VowelsHow 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 #1722) — hint #2 — repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1722) — hint #3 — uncommon lettersDo 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 #1722) — 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 0.

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 #1722) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• H

• B

• R

• S

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

Quordle today (game #1722) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1722, are…

• HELLO
• BELOW
• RIGHT
• SLANT

Everything fell into place for me today, with every word being the most expected.

In brief, exactly the sort of game I needed after losing my win stream on Saturday.

Thank you, Quordle gods.

Daily Sequence today (game #1722) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1722, are…

• OPERA
• TULLE
• FEVER
• DEMUR

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1721, Sunday, 11 October: LILAC, INLET, TRIAD, SHAPE
• Quordle #1720, Saturday, 10 October: SWEAT, THIRD, RURAL, CLASP
• Quordle #1719, Friday, 9 October: OLDEN, DUNCE, SWATH, HILLY
• Quordle #1718, Thursday, 8 October: MINTY, ROWER, BROOD, RESET
• Quordle #1717, Wednesday, 7 October: PALER, FROTH, DOZEN, ERASE
• Quordle #1716, Tuesday, 6 October: FRESH, SKULK, BATCH, ENSUE
• Quordle #1715, Monday, 5 October: SIXTH, SPEAK, SEDAN, HEIST
• Quordle #1714, Sunday, 4 October: INFER, RAINY, THING, ARENA
• Quordle #1713, Saturday, 3 October: CHORE, FLYER, STICK, PURSE
• Quordle #1712, Friday, 2 October: IVORY, SADLY, ANGEL, LLAMA
• Quordle #1711, Thursday, 1 October: NAVEL, SHEER, BIRTH, TACKY
• Quordle #1710, Wednesday, 30 September: CHOKE, BATCH, MOSSY, EAGER
• Quordle #1709, Tuesday, 29 September: BILGE, MEDAL, LODGE, PORCH
• Quordle #1708, Monday, 28 September: BRUNT, TORSO, STONE, HEATH
• Quordle #1707, Sunday, 27 September: VALET, CHEST, VIGIL, PUREE
• Quordle #1706, Saturday, 26 September: SNORT, BIBLE, LAPSE, CRANE
• Quordle #1705, Friday, 25 September: SWEAR, FLOOD, GUPPY, GROAN
• Quordle #1704, Thursday, 24 September: TOPIC, METRO, SCALP, FREED
• Quordle #1703, Wednesday, 23 September: SHEET, BLAND, JOIST, GUAVA
• Quordle #1702, Tuesday, 22 September: COMFY, LOBBY, DRESS, PANEL

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 Sunday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, October 11 (game #952).

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 #953) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… In a manner of speaking

NYT Strands today (game #953) - hint #2 - clue words

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

• SLING
• RANGER
• FOUL
• GONE
• LONG
• RACON

NYT Strands today (game #953) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 12 letters

NYT Strands today (game #953) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First side: left, 8th row

• Last side: right, 4th row

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

NYT Strands today (game #953) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #953, are…

• PARLANCE
• JARGON
• VERNACULAR
• LINGO
• DIALECT
• SPANGRAM: TURNOFPHRASE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Another easy game where I got the Spangram second (there are no prizes or badges for that, unfortunately). Very annoying, although I did appreciate how TURNOFPHRASE took a turn across the board.

I was expecting to find the word “slang” on the board, but made do with the non-game word “sling”. Instead, we had the many different ways in which languages can be described.

Personally, I think DIALECT is fascinating, particularly how someone in the same country can ask for a cup of coffee in a hundred different ways depending on where they come from

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Sunday, October 11, game #952)

• PAGER
• ICEBOX
• INKWELL
• TYPEWRITER
• TELEGRAM
• SPANGRAM: OLDFASHIONED

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.

• World of Warcraft: Forever won't receive any new races from retail World of Warcraft
• Blizzard says its "main focus" is to "build off the foundational lore of Warcraft," since Forever exists in its own "continuity"
• It confirms that the stakes won't be as high as retail WoW to begin with, as "You aren’t THE hero in WoW: Forever, you are just A hero"

Blizzard Entertainment has confirmed that it doesn't plan to add any modern World of Warcraft races to World of Warcraft: Forever, since the game exists in its own timeline.

In an interview with TechRadar Gaming, where the WoW: Forever team discussed adding the controversial dual-faction Skyborne race and its plans for the game's future, Blizzard said it doesn't plan to reintroduce any races from Azeroth-based expansions, such as Battle for Azeroth, Shadowlands, or Midnight.

"We have no plans to add races from WoW’s expansions at this time," Blizzard said, meaning fans shouldn't expect new races like Vulpera, Goblins, or Haranir.

And Blizzard's reasoning for avoiding the newer additions to retail WoW? It explained that it wants to build on the original Warcraft game because WoW: Forever essentially exists within its own timeline.

"Our main focus for the game is to build off the foundational lore of Warcraft," it said. "This means first and foremost the RTS [real-time strategy ] games, and we’ve hit on this right from the start with our content that picks up after the events of the new Warcraft 3: Forsaken Kingdom campaign.

"One of the liberating things about this game existing in its own continuity is that we can forge our own path forward and tell stories that serve the world of WoW: Forever first and foremost. It wouldn’t be fair to WoW: Forever and the players who want to see where this world is going for us to spend a ton of time trying to further flesh stories that have already been told extensively in the modern game."

Blizzard added that it plans to "keep our stories very grounded," explaining that while the stakes of modern WoW are "so vast" and "have that gravity and weight because of how far our characters have gone in that world," WoW: Forever will start "in a very different place."

"We may be a part of larger narratives and events, but how we interact with those narratives will be more subtle and grounded, just as was the case in original WoW," the team said, emphasising that "You aren’t THE hero in WoW: Forever, you are just A hero."

It continued, teasing, "That isn’t to say we’ll never go to some of the places that came in later WoW expansions, but we are fairly committed at this time to doing the WoW: Forever version of those places, not simply retreading the versions of these places that we’ve already seen."

Elsewhere in the same interview, Blizzard confirmed that it's actively working to combat real-money trading (RMT) in WoW: Forever.

• MSI’s Prestige N16 Flip AI+ becomes yet another RTX Spark laptop brand
• The top model carries 128 GB of RAM and a 2 TB SSD
• Every configuration uses a 20-core CPU and a 6,144-core GPU

MSI has launched the Prestige N16 Flip AI+, adding a 16-inch convertible to Nvidia's rapidly expanding RTX Spark hardware lineup.

Microsoft, ASUS, Dell, HP and Lenovo have also introduced or announced RTX Spark systems, while Acer has shown its own compact desktop design

That competition leaves MSI differentiating its device through a 128 GB memory option, a 20-core processor and a high-resolution Tandem OLED display.

MSI packs flagship RTX Spark hardware into a convertible

The Prestige N16 Flip AI+ combines Nvidia's 20-core RTX Spark N1X processor with a GPU containing 6,144 cores across all three configurations.

Its 16-inch Tandem OLED touchscreen delivers 3,840 × 2,400 resolution, a variable refresh rate between 30 Hz and 120 Hz, and peak HDR brightness of 1,000 nits.

MSI fits the hardware into a convertible chassis weighing 1.9 kg, with dimensions of 357.7 × 254.3 mm and thickness ranging from 13.9 mm to 16.9 mm.

Under the hood, a 99.9 Wh battery supports charging at up to 140 W, although MSI has not specified battery endurance or the time required for a full recharge.

The Prestige N16 Flip AI+ comes in three configurations, with memory and storage capacity accounting for the differences between them.

The base model offers 32 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD, while the midrange version increases memory to 64 GB without changing storage capacity, and the top configuration doubles memory again to 128 GB and increases storage to 2 TB.

MSI joins Microsoft, Dell and other RTX Spark laptop makers

Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra, ASUS's ProArt P14 and P16, Dell's XPS 16, HP's OmniBook Ultra 16 and Lenovo's Yoga 9n 2-in-1 already give buyers several RTX Spark laptop options.

Their approaches differ, with Microsoft's machine using a 15-inch mini-LED display, while ASUS focuses its RTX Spark models on creator-oriented ProArt laptops.

Dell uses the XPS 16 for its RTX Spark offering, while HP has placed the processor inside its larger OmniBook Ultra 16.

Lenovo takes a convertible approach similar to MSI, with its Yoga 9n combining RTX Spark hardware and a 360-degree design.

Acer has also entered the RTX Spark ecosystem with a compact desktop design, although that product does not compete directly with MSI's convertible.

MSI's main distinction is its combination of a convertible form factor, a 128 GB memory option and a high-resolution Tandem OLED display.

The company has opened preorders through authorized retailers, with availability varying by market.

In the United States, the laptop starts at $3,299, while UK buyers pay £3,099 for the 32 GB model with 1 TB storage.

The British price rises to £4,099 for the 64 GB version, a £1,000 increase over the entry configuration, and Eurozone pricing starts at €3,899.90 for the 32 GB model, rising to €5,099.90 for the 64 GB version, and the highest configuration costs €7,999.90, combining 128 GB of RAM with 2 TB storage and costing more than twice as much as the entry model.

Via Notebookcheck

It's Vision's time to shine. After playing a supporting role in myriad Marvel movies and TV shows, the superpowered synthezoid is finally set to star in his own project in VisionQuest.

Set around a year — in-universe, that is — after WandaVision, the Disney+ TV Original will reunite us with Vision (Paul Bettany), who's suffering from an identity crisis following the events of WandaVision's finale. Searching for meaning, he consults the A.I. programs in his programming for guidance and advice, including Ultron (James Spader), aka the villainous android last seen in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Soon, though, Vision is forced to go on the run with Tommy Shepherd (Ruaridh Mollica), a mysterious individual who claims to be one of Vision's reincarnated twin sons, when nefarious forces come gunning for the highly-advanced tech that Vision possesses.

With that somewhat lengthy story synopsis out of the way, we can move onto the real reason for you clicking on this article. That being: when will every episode of VisionQuest be released on one of the world's best streaming services?

What are the release dates for every episode of VisionQuest?

Paul Bettany is joined by MCU newcomer Ruaridh Mollica in the final Marvel TV show of 2026 (Image credit: Marvel Television/Disney+)

The penultimate Marvel Phase 6 TV series will arrive with a two-episode premiere on Tuesday, October 13 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET in the US and Canada.

Originally, VisionQuest was supposed to make its worldwide debut on Wednesday, October 14. However, Marvel has since announced that it'll be released early in North and South America. The rest of the world will have to wait until October 14 to see them.

As for when the other six chapters should be released, Marvel has also revealed that episodes 3 and 4, and chapters 5 and 6, will launch together in the two weeks that follow. After that, episodes 7 and 8 will arrive independent of each other.

Confused? Don't be. Check out the list below for each episode's confirmed launch date:

• VisionQuest episode 1 — October 13 / 14
• VisionQuest episode 2 — October 13 / 14
• VisionQuest episode 3 — October 20 / 21
• VisionQuest episode 4 — October 20 / 21
• VisionQuest episode 5 — October 27 / 28
• VisionQuest episode 6 — October 27 / 28
• VisionQuest episode 7 — November 3 / 4
• VisionQuest episode 8 — November 10 / 11

What time can I watch VisionQuest?

We'll see human versions of AI programs F.R.I.D.A.Y, J.A.R.V.I.S, U, AND D.U.M-E in VisionQuest (Image credit: Marvel Television/Disney+)

As I mentioned above, every episode of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) show will come out at 6pm PT / 9pm ET in North America.

Live elsewhere? Here's when new installments of VisionQuest are expected to premiere in your time zone:

• US — 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada — 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• UK — 2am BST
• India — 6:30am IST
• Singapore — 9am SGT
• Australia — 11am AEST
• New Zealand — 1pm NZST

It's worth noting that the above times will change in the weeks ahead.

Take on our Vision-based Marvel quiz!

Think you're a Marvel super-fan? See if you can get 100% on our tough VisionQuest quiz before the Paul Bettany TV show is released on Disney+!

Indeed, with the clocks going back in the northern hemisphere, as well as forward below the equator, some episodes will be released earlier or later than the aforementioned times. As and when they come into effect, I'll update this section.

For now, check out my VisionQuest review, which covers all eight episode (don't worry, it doesn't contain major spoilers). After that, read up on everything we know so far about VisionQuest and find out how to watch the Marvel movies in order if you're planning a Vision-specific re-watch before VisionQuest's arrival.

Sony ULT Tower 5 review

The Sony ULT Tower 5 is one of the stand-out audio products I've reviewed in 2026. In many ways, it defies belief. Despite being pretty small for a traditional party speaker, it produces almighty audio, with the sort of bass you’d expect from a model twice its size. And, what’s more, it's pretty affordable.

Sony has made a bunch of changes to its new ULT range, and they appear to have paid off. Perhaps the highest-profile change is the shift towards newly developed rounded woofers, marking a departure from the almost rectangular X-Balanced woofer units seen on previous ULT models. The tech giant told me that this was in an effort to maximize deep bass — something that’s crucial for a party environment. And this, in my view, was a great choice.

As with all of the best Bluetooth speakers in this size-class, the ULT Tower 5 plates up incredibly powerful yet regimented low-end output. When tuning into Everytime by Jesse Maas, the house track’s pumping deep bass was replicated to an excellent standard — it was agile and rhythmic, while also remaining driven and meaty. And this never came at the expense of other sounds in the frequency range, with electronic elements and vocals in the mid-range given plenty of room to breathe, and higher-pitched drums cutting through with precision.

(Image credit: Future)

Here, I was using the 'ULT 2' EQ mode, which delivers a powerful yet rounded performance. With ULT 1 mode, deep bass is prioritized, and I found this to be ideal for outdoor environments. For instance, when I tuned into First Summer by H.K., I was mesmerized by the richness and rippling power of the low-end, which was undeterred by wind noise, cars driving past, and other ambient sounds. This mode will also work brilliantly for large open indoor spaces, but is ill-suited to the acoustics of smaller rooms. It’s worth flagging that the ULT Tower 5 has a maximum power output of 300W, so it can also get super loud, no matter where you are.

Other energetic tracks, such as What We Got by Midas Field and Marijn Jansen, also sounded impeccable on the ULT Tower 5. The speaker showed off its impressive handling of dynamics with impactful bass drops, produced textured vocals in the build-up, and even created a wide, expansive soundstage for this speaker's size, with the angled tweeters conjuring up an impressive sense of space. However, the ULT Tower 5 does lack the 360 sound that its larger siblings have due to the lack of rear-facing drivers, and I definitely felt like audio wasn't anywhere near as full-sounding when listening from the side or back of the speaker.

This is a party-first speaker, of course, but there is a Flat EQ mode if you want to listen to more stripped-back tracks, and it works well — especially if you want to enjoy resonant and detailed vocal performances. This does take a lot of weight out from the low-end, though, so it's a bit more situational than the ULT 1 and 2 options. There’s also a Live mode, which is intended to create a more realistic replication of live recordings, or a 10-band custom equalizer if you want to make more granular changes — the ULT Tower 5 is incredibly versatile.

(Image credit: Future)

I mainly streamed over Bluetooth when testing, and had Sony’s very own LDAC codec active, which enables higher-res listening if your device supports it — something that a lot of party speakers skip on. However, you can connect to the speaker in so many other ways. There’s a USB-A port if you want to listen to tunes from a USB drive, there’s USB-C, XLR, and even RCA if you want to hook up a DJ controller or turntable. The audio quality and connectivity options available mean that this model is well-suited to casual or even professional use.

There’s also a port that lets you plug in a mic for some karaoke, if that’s your thing. The speaker has built-in effects for karaoke, like a voice changer, echo, and the like. There’s also a party pad for playing sound effects, drum sounds, robotic noises… you name it.

If you have multiple ULT Towers, there’s also the option to link them up with Party Chain. I tried pairing the ULT Tower 5 with the Tower 7, and all it took was a simple button press on each model. It was quick, easy, and produced an even more mighty sound. When I went to a demo for Sony’s new ULT range, I even got to hear ten ULT Towers daisy chained together, which opened up devastatingly powerful sound.

A lot of the functions I’ve described, like EQ tweaking, the party pad, switching connectivity method, and more, are available through the Sony Sound Connect app. While a lot of rival apps have a tendency to be buggy or awkward to navigate, Sony’s control app was phenomenally easy to use, rich in features, and reliable at all times. It also has options like Sound Field Optimization, which automatically detects external noise and adjusts sound accordingly, as well as power conservation and light customization settings.

Let’s talk about the lights, actually, because they’re a big part of this model’s aesthetic. They look fantastic in my opinion — sure, they’re RGB, not the classy stage-style lights of a model like the Marshall Bromley 750 — but they’re still tasteful and flashy. You can customize the pattern and color of the lights in the Sound Connect app or via physical controls, and these can even synchronize to the rhythm of your tunes for a truly immersive experience.

More generally, the build quality of the ULT Tower 5 is strong. Yes, it’s pretty hefty, and doesn’t have a pull-out handle for traveling over longer distances, but it’s nowhere near as cumbersome as its larger sibling, the ULT Tower 7. Its plastic exterior looks surprisingly premium, its rounded appearance is sleek, and even the ULT icon has some appeal — it can be twisted to adjust volume, or pressed to switch EQ mode.

As the speaker is designed for both indoor and outdoor use, it’s also equipped with IPX4 waterproofing. This means that it can survive multi-directional water splashes without issue. Sure, this is fairly standard for a party speaker like this and by no means ground-breaking, but it should be enough to keep the speaker alive if you spill some water on it or if there’s some light rain.

How about battery life? Well, the Sony ULT Tower 5 provides up to 20 hours of playback with its lights turned off, which is good for a model of this size and power. It’s more than a rival like the JBL PartyBox 130 too, which can deliver up to 16 hours. If you need to squeeze a bit more life out of the ULT Tower 5, there’s also a Stamina mode, which gives you extended battery life at the expense of lighting and ULT Power Sound. Still, if you want the full experience, you can still use the ULT Tower 5 while it's connected to the mains, and juicing it back up doesn’t take all too long — you can get about 100 minutes of playback from just a 10 minute charge.

The big question, then, is the Sony ULT Tower 5 worth the money? My answer: absolutely. This model comes in at $449.99 / £349 / AU$549, and for a speaker of this size and power, with so many features and an eye-catching design, I think you’re getting plenty of bang for your buck. When you consider that a far smaller Bluetooth speaker like the JBL Xtreme 5 is just $50 / £20 less than that, the value on offer here is striking.

I’ve tested party speakers that can rival the ULT Tower 5, like the Marshall Bromley 450 for instance. And while that model sounds spectacular and looks even better than the ULT Tower 5, it does come in at about $350 / £200 / AU$500 more. So, if you want a party speaker with great sound and features at an enticing price, then the Sony ULT Tower 5 gets a full recommendation from me.

(Image credit: Future)Sony ULT Tower 5 review: price & release date

• Priced at $449.99 / £349 / AU$549
• Released in September 2026

The Sony ULT Tower 5 was released in September 2026 alongside two sibling models, the larger Sony ULT Tower 7, and the gigantic Sony ULT Max. It’s priced at $449.99 / £349 / AU$549, which is a seriously tempting price for a speaker with so much power and such advanced features.

For reference, that’s only about $50 / £20 more than the JBL Xtreme 5 would cost you, which is a far smaller, less meaty model. It’s also in a very similar ballpark to a rival like the JBL PartBox 130, and considerably cheaper than premium alternatives like the Marshall Bromley 450.

Sony ULT Tower 5 review: specs

Weight

28lbs / 12.7kg

Dimensions

14.1 x 21 x 11 inches / 358 x 534 x 280mm

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.3, RCA, XLR (in and out), USB-A, USB-C, mic input (6.3mm)

Battery life

20 hours

Speaker drivers

1x 230mm woofer, 2x 60mm tweeters

Waterproofing

IPX4

(Image credit: Future)Should I buy the Sony ULT Tower 5?

Attribute

Notes

Score

Features

Swathe of connectivity methods, broad EQ options, customizable lighting, LDAC for higher-res listening.

5/5

Performance

Excellent bass for the speaker’s size, clean mids and tight highs, lacks 360 sound of larger models.

4.5/5

Design

Striking look with appealing and dynamic lighting, well-built, IPX4 waterproofing is decent but nothing special.

4.5/5

Value

A simply stellar price for the power and quality on offer.

5/5

Buy it if…

You want an all-in one party solution
The ULT Tower 5 feels like the definitive, affordable party speaker. It has a wide range of connectivity options, meaning it's good for casual listening, DJing, karaoke… you name it. This model has it all.

You’re looking for a speaker with a striking look
I love the look of the Sony ULT Tower 5 — it’s striking, with bold, customizable lighting, a very solid standard of build, and an appealing, curved design. If you want a speaker that stands out, this is a solid choice.

Don’t buy it if…

You’re looking for 360-degree audio
Due to the lack of rear-facing drivers, the Sony ULT Tower 5 is unable to whip up top-tier audio from all angles — it only sounds at its best when facing the listener. If you want more convincing 360-degree sound, it's worth checking out the larger ULT Tower 7 or Max models, or going for a speaker like the Marshall Bromley 450, which sounds great no matter where you’re standing.

You need top-tier waterproofing
While IPX4 is the standard rating for a party speaker of this ilk, it’s by no means anything special. It should get you through some light spills or rain, but I’ve tested similar rivals that go up to IP55, which protects against dust ingress and low-pressure water jets.

Sony ULT Tower 5 review: also consider

Sony ULT Tower 5

JBL PartyBox 130

Marshall Bromley 450

Price

$449.99 / £349 / AU$549

$449.99 / £349.99 / AU$595

$799.99 / £549.99 / AU$1,079

Weight

28lbs / 12.7kg

24.8lbs / 11.3kg

26.9lbs / 12.2kg

Dimensions

14.1 x 21 x 11 inches / 358 x 534 x 280mm

11.7 x 22.6 x 11.9 inches / 29.8 x 57.5 x 30.3mm

19.4 x 14.2 x 10.3 inches / 492 x 359.9 x 260.9mm

Connectivity

Bluetooth 5.3, RCA, XLR (in and out), USB-A, USB-C, mic input (6.3mm)

Bluetooth 6.0, 3.5mm (in and out), optical, USB-C, 2x mic inputs (6.3mm)

Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm, USB-C, RCA, 2x XLR / 6.35mm combo jacks

Battery life

20 hours

15 hours

40 hours

Speaker drivers

1x 230mm woofer, 2x 60mm tweeters

2x 145mm woofers, 2x 25mm tweeters

2x 6.5-inch 40W woofers, 4x 2-inch 6W full-ranges, 2x passive radiators

Waterproofing

IPX4

IPX4

IP55

JBL PartyBox 130
JBL is extremely dominant in this segment of the speaker market and it’s not hard to see why. They produce flashy party speakers with impactful bass output, eye-catching lights, and a huge array of connectivity options. And the JBL PartyBox 130 is no exception. It doesn’t quite offer as much battery life as the ULT Tower 5, but it does provide dual woofers, karaoke functionality, and the same IPX4 waterproofing.

Marshall Bromley 450
OK, this one’s considerably pricier than the ULT Tower 5, but it earns its price in a number of ways. First of all, it has a considerably more fleshed-out driver configuration than Sony’s speaker, with dual subwoofers and four full range units (plus a couple of passive radiators). It also has a seriously luxurious look with a stunning faux-leather exterior, stage light-inspired LEDs, and eye-catching golden details. And that battery life… So yes, you get what you pay for with the Bromley 450, but it can’t compete with the sheer affordability of its Sony rival. Read my full Marshall Bromley 450 review.

How I tested the Sony ULT Tower 5

(Image credit: Future)

• Tested in our music testing space at Future Labs and outdoors
• Mainly streamed tunes over Tidal
• Tried Party Chain functionality alongside ULT Tower 7

I spent countless hours listening to music on the Sony ULT Tower 5, which I tested indoors at our music testing room at Future Labs, as well as outdoors in the office parking lot. This enabled me to test the fidelity of audio in a quiet and controlled space as well as a busy, noisy environment.

For the most part, I connected to the ULT Tower 5 over Bluetooth and played tracks via Tidal on my Xiaomi 17 phone, which supports LDAC. To begin with, I sifted through the TechRadar reference playlist, but I also listened to hours worth of tunes from my personal library, including a lot of bass-heavy bangers. On top of this, I tried pairing the ULT Tower with the Sony ULT Tower 7 to test out the Party Chain function.

More generally, I’ve spent years testing audio gear here at TechRadar, where I serve as a Senior Reviews Writer. I’ve reviewed everything from premium wireless headphones like the Sony 1000X The Collexion to Dolby Atmos soundbars, like the JBL Bar 1300MK2. Of course, I’ve also tested a huge array of Bluetooth speakers as well, including party-ready models like the LG xboom Stage 301 and the Marshall Bromley 750.

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

Oscal Pilot 8: 30-second review

Rugged phones usually make one promise: they will survive. Everything else after that tends to be an afterthought or, on some devices, even a distraction.

The Oscal Pilot 8 tries to change that narrative somewhat, while remaining reasonably tough. It uses a new Qualcomm Dragonwing QCM6690 chip instead of the usual MediaTek SoC. It includes a 6.83-inch AMOLED screen, WiFi 7, and a 10,000mAh battery. But its best trick is fitting all that tech into a body just 17.9mm thick and weighing just 389g.

That makes for a practical, rugged design that fits in a normal pocket, and with a 108MP primary camera, it can capture detailed images and 4K video at up to 60fps.

Given these mostly positive aspects, it's reasonable to expect a high price, but the quoted launch price was just $356.99. That was a special offer, and the retail cost is higher, but it still isn’t expensive for what is a decent specification.

Is this one of the best rugged phones for those out in the field who have to choose between durability and performance? Maybe, but read my full review before parting with cash.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Oscal Pilot 8: price and availability

• How much does it cost? $360/£350/€405
• When is it out? Available now from a few outlets
• Where can you get it? Only from AliExpress currently

According to my research, Oscal announced the Pilot 8 on 17 July 2026. It was available on AliExpress with a launch price of $356.99, running from 17 to 26 August. That offer has ended. Since then, I’ve seen a $329 list price for the only SKU, a 12GB and 256GB model.

The snag is that this model isn’t available on any official Oscal regional sites, and you can’t buy it on Amazon.

At the time of writing, the only retailer I could get this phone from was AliExpress, and the price was $356.99 for those in the USA, £343.39 for UK delivery, and €402,39 for European buyers.

Considering the SoC, AMOLED display and 108MP camera, that looks like a remarkably competitive price. I think there was originally going to be another SKU with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, but evidently memory and storage prices put a spanner in that works.

Why Blackview (Oscal) isn’t selling this via the Oscal websites or through other retail networks I can’t say. But it might be that initially this phone is being made in smaller batches than other phones by this brand.

Compared to other lightweight rugged designs, there are a few phones with a similar profile in terms of performance and portability.

These include the Oukitel WP500 Ultra and Oukitel WP210, which use the Dimensity 8300 and Dimensity 8200 SoCs by MediaTek. The WP500 Ultra has 1TB of storage and a thermal camera, but costs more than double the Pilot 8. And the WP210 is around $450 for a phone with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.

I believe Oscal has a Pilot 8 version planned with a thermal camera, and another with a satellite phone function, but since neither has a price yet, comparing it directly with the WP500 Ultra isn’t possible. The WP210 is much closer on spec and price, and it's an alternative if you want more storage, but it has a slightly smaller 8800 mAh battery.

Given the recent price increases we’ve seen in phones, the Pilot 8 seems like a good deal, but it would help if it were more widely available.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• Value score: 4/5

Oscal Pilot 8: Specs

CPU:

Qualcomm QCM6690 (Dragonwing Q6690), octa-core, 4nm

GPU:

Adreno 7 series GPU. Clocks run from 480 to 2965MHz

NPU:

Qualcomm Hexagon

Memory:

12GB RAM, confirmed on the sample, plus up to 36GB virtual RAM

Storage:

256GB UFS 2.2, microSD up to 2TB (shared with second SIM)

Display:

6.83 inch AMOLED, 1280 by 2772 pixels, 446ppi, 120Hz, 240Hz touch sampling

Brightness:

600 nits typical, 2000 nits peak (quoted by Oscal).

Glass:

CSG KK9 scratch-resistant glass

Rear cameras:

108MP Samsung ISOCELL HM6 main (1/1.67 inch, f/1.9), 20MP night vision with infrared lights.

Front camera:

50MP Samsung ISOCELL JN1

Battery:

10,000mAh, 55W wired charging, 5W reverse charging. No charger supplied

Operating system:

DokeOS 5.0 based on Android 16

Wireless:

WiFi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, dual SIM 5G, eSIM ready

Navigation:

GPS (L1 and L5), GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, NavIC, QZSS

Audio:

4.5W Smart PA speaker, 98dB claimed maximum

Protection:

IP68, IP69K, MIL STD 810H, 1.2 metre drop rating

Dimensions:

178.7 by 85.4 by 17.9mm

Weight:

389g

Colour:

Black

Oscal Pilot 8: Design

• Clean design
• No wireless charging
• Bright AMOLED display

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The Pilot 8 measures 178.7 by 85.4 by 17.9mm and weighs 389g. For a phone with a 10,000mAh battery, that is relatively slim and lightweight by rugged phone standards.

The frame is aluminium alloy with reinforced corners made of a stiff TPU polymer. The back panel is transparent acrylic, through which you can see some appropriately high-tech-looking Oscal graphics.

Given how flat most of the back is, I expected wireless charging, but alas, the Pilot 8 budget didn’t stretch to that feature.

The quoted robustness protection is IP68 and IP69K, with MIL STD 810H certification. But equally, the drop rating is only 1.2 metres, which is on the modest end of the scale for rugged phones.

Many rivals claim 1.5 metres or more, so the Pilot 8 might not be the ideal choice for those who are inherently clumsy. To be clear, I’m not saying it's fragile by any gauge, but other phones do quote longer drop resistance.

Another reason to think along those lines is the screen protection. It is CSG KK9 glass, a technology that Oscal says is up to eight times more scratch-resistant. That might be true, but it's not Gorilla Glass if you specifically want a phone with that technology.

While memory and storage prices have ballooned, displays seem to be getting cheaper by the day. That's why we’ve got a sub-$400 phone with a 6.83-inch AMOLED panel at 1280 by 2772 pixels, a screen density of 446ppi.

The panel has a 120Hz refresh rate, and touch sampling is 240Hz. And because I'm reviewing it, I must mention that it has Widevine L1, so it supports 1080p streaming from Netflix and Disney. Hooray!

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The screen looks bright in use, with Oscal quoting 600 nits typical and 2000 nits peak. Those figures are far apart, and some secondary sources list 600 nits as the maximum. My testing proved inconclusive on this point, but 2000 nits does seem implausibly high.

What I can say is that even in bright sunlight, the screen on the Pilot 8 is significantly more readable than most mobile phones.

What’s good about this design is that it's chock-full of practical touches, some of which are more useful than others. One curious one I discovered in the settings menu was a function to clear dust and water from the rear speaker.

It also includes glove mode and rain touch modes for the screen. The side key can launch the torch, the underwater camera, PTT, or an SOS alert, and the power button can launch the digital assistant or the camera.

The only feature I wasn’t keen on was the tiny rubber bung that Oscal used to protect the USB-C port, which rapidly started looking like a prime candidate to be ripped off and discarded.

Design score: 4/5

Oscal Pilot 8: Hardware

• Qualcomm QCM6690
• 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage
• 10000 mAh battery

The Qualcomm QCM6690 SoC is this phone's headline feature, a relatively new Chip that first appeared in late August 2025. It is a 4nm octa-core chip with an Adreno 7 series GPU, and was the world's first enterprise mobile processor with fully integrated ultra-high frequency (UHF RAIN) RFID capabilities built directly on-chip.

DevCheck reports clock speeds from 480 to 2965MHz. That matches Oscal's claim of up to 2.9GHz, although this chip might clock slightly faster on other platforms.

Based on my benchmarking, this is an upper mid-range chip, not a flagship. Oscal's flagship description is therefore a stretch.

Oscal quotes an AnTuTu score of 1,151,934. Declaring it to be 2.7 times a MediaTek Helio G100, with a CPU score of 466,080 and a GPU score of 201,028. The comparison chip is a modest target, so the gap flatters the Pilot 8. A fairer rival would be the Dimensity 8300 or even the 8400.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

In the Pilot 8, the SoC is wired to 12GB of RAM, which is enough for most smartphone purposes. I do wish Oscal wouldn’t confuse customers by emblazoning the box art with 48GB in large letters, and then in much smaller letters “12GB+36GB”. Oscal adds 36GB of virtual RAM to reach 48GB, and Virtual RAM borrows storage space and therefore is not memory. I wish phone makers wouldn't do this, but many do

Storage is 256GB of UFS 2.2 with microSD support up to 2TB. UFS 2.2 is an older standard, so expect decent rather than rapid speeds, but at around 1000Mb/s, it’s fine.

The card shares a slot with the second SIM, so you will need to choose between two physical SIMs or an onboard microSD. However, the phone supports an eSIM, so you can easily circumvent this limitation to enable dual phone numbers and extra storage.

Compared with some rugged designs I could mention, the Pilot 6 is oriented towards being a replacement for an ordinary phone. But being light enough to carry and scaled to fit in a jacket pocket means the battery is only 10,000mAh. That’s not huge, even if it's double what a standard phone might expect to get.

Charging is 55W wired, with 5W reverse charging for topping up earbuds and small gadgets. Oscal claims 43 hours of calls, 24 hours of music, 11 hours of gaming and 1080 hours of standby. The standby figure works out to be an impressive 45 days, enough for any wilderness trip gone completely wrong.

The only issue I ran into with charging was that my 100W chargers didn’t charge this phone at 55W, only about half that amount, and there is no charger in the box, at least in Europe.

Overall, the hardware has good points, with a few that could be better.

• Hardware score: 4/5

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Oscal Pilot 8: Cameras

• 108MP and 20MP on the rear
• 50MP on the front
• Three cameras in total

The Oscal Pilot 8 has three cameras:

Rear cameras: 108MP Samsung ISOCELL HM6 , 20MP Sony IMX376
Front camera: 50MP Samsung ISOCELL JN1

The main camera is a 108MP Samsung ISOCELL HM6 on a 1/1.67 inch sensor with an f/1.9 lens. The front camera is a 50MP ISOCELL JN1. A 20MP Sony IMX376 night vision camera sits alongside the main sensor, backed by infrared lights.

My review sample is the standard model. So it has no thermal camera or thermal app, but it does have a night vision sensor that works well within the range of the IR illumination.

Having the JN1 sensor as the selfie camera seems overkill, but it's nice if you need the resolution for still or video captures.

This is a strong camera lineup, even without a macro or depth queue sensor, since the HM6's 6P optics offer plenty of zoom levels, even if you can’t get especially close to small subjects. Video capture on the primary sensor is also good, with up to 4K resolution and 60 fps possible – on both rear and front-facing sensors.

The only major issue I had with the camera was that the app would, on occasion, lock up, and the only way to get it working again was to reset the phone. I’m not sure if this is a bug with Doke 5.0 (built from Android 16) or some other problem, but this happened twice while I was using the Pilot 8.

And, for whatever reason, taking pictures seems to take longer than it should on a phone this powerful. It takes at least two and a half seconds before the app resets after capturing an image to be ready to take another one.

I hope Oscal issues a fix for these, because both are annoying, and before anyone suggests it, deleting the cache or storage for the photo app doesn’t resolve either.

My testing results were good, even though I did experience a few glitches.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Mark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceSamsung Mark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark Pickavance

• Camera score: 4/5

Oscal Pilot 8: Performance

Phone

Oscal Pilot 8

Oukitel WP500 Ultra

SoC

Qualcomm Dragonwing QCM6690

MediaTek Dimensity 8300

GPU

Qualcomm Adreno 7-Series

ARM Mali-G615 MC6

NPU

Qualcomm Hexagon

MediaTek NPU 580

Memory

12GB/256GB

12GB/1TB

Weight

389g

414.3g

Battery

10000

10000

Geekbench

Single

1341

1239

Multi

3702

3525

OpenCL

3593

7196

Vulkan

5037

8171

PCMark

3.0 Score

16453

15219

Battery

23h 22m (19%)

22h 37m (19%)

Charge 30 Mins

%

18

42

Passmark

Score

17326

18554

CPU

8394

8748

3DMark

Slingshot OGL

8064

Maxed Out

Slingshot Ex. OGL

6261

Maxed Out

Slingshot Ex. Vulkan

5442

Maxed Out

Wildlife

4619

7958

Nomad Lite

440

953

I chose the Oukitel WP500 Ultra as the comparison phone because it uses the popular Dimensity 8300, and because it’s a substantially more expensive device.

What it reveals is that the ARM Mali-G615 MC6 is marginally quicker than the Qualcomm Adreno 7-Series, but as a processor, the Dragonwing QCM6690 is actually a match or even slightly better than the Dimensity 8300.

By definition, that puts it behind any phones that use the Dimensity 8400 series, but those are mostly what I’d describe as premium devices.

Overall performance is good, and the power efficiency of the SoC is excellent. Being able to run the PCMark Battery test for nearly an entire day strongly suggests the 10000 mAh battery should last through three working days, or, if managed properly, a week away from civilisation.

Considering this phone weighs only 389g, that’s supremely useful.

The only issue was charging it quickly, since without the 55W charger that Oscal didn’t include, I couldn’t charge it at that power level. So, you may need to find a 55W charger this phone accepts, because it didn’t like my Ugreen Nexode power packs.

• Performance score: 4/5

Oscal Pilot 8: Final verdict

If the price holds and availability improves, the Pilot 8 makes a strong case. The Qualcomm chip performs nearly as well as a Dimensity 8300 in my testing, and that’s a decent level to hit. That lifts it above the usual rugged crowd that uses cheaper SoCs. The battery should get you through a full workweek of light use, and the body is slim enough to fit in a pocket.

On the flip side, the drop rating is modest, and the brightness claims seem optimistic. And, update support is largely an unknown. Unlike some other brands, Blackview (Oscal) doesn’t maintain a public, centralised chronological archive or changelog history of its firmware updates.

Some Blackview devices, like the XPLORE series, do tend to get more updates than more budget devices. So if I bought the Pilot 8, I’d be surprised if it saw any Android version above what it has now, but it might get some tweaks and security patches. The last security update that my review hardware got was dated July 5th, 2026.

With most Chinese brands, this isn’t unexpected, but it's worth keeping in mind if you plan to keep hardware for more than a handful of years.

In general, this is a decent device with a punchy SoC, good cameras and a lovely display, and getting all those things at this price point in 2026, if you can find it, is a bonus.

It will be interesting to see if the Thermal Camera and Satellite versions of the Pilot 8 are as good as the standard model when they arrive.

Should I buy a Oscal Pilot 8?Oscal Pilot 8 Score Card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

For this specification, the asking price is reasonable

4/5

Design

A lightweight, rugged design that will fit in most pockets

4/5

Hardware

A powerful Qualcomm SoC that delivers efficient running

4/5

Cameras

Good cameras and useful optics, but buggy camera app

4/5

Performance

Not Snapdragon 8 great, but good all-around performance

4/5

Overall

A practical rugged design with plenty of premium features

4/5

Buy it if...

You need 4K video
The sensors on this phone are capable of capturing 4K at 60 fps, and that includes both the primary rear-facing sensor and the front-facing camera. Therefore, if you need 4K content to document your adventures, the Pilot 8 seems a good choice. Just be aware that it only has 256GB of storage, so you might want to also invest in a 1TB microSD card.

You need a phone for outdoors
The water and dust resistance on the Pilot 8 is enough to handle limited submersion and drops. It’s also not too large to fit in a pocket, or excessively heavy. Compared with some rugged designs, this is one of the more practical options.

Don't buy it if...

You need extended battery life
While 10000 mAh of battery capacity might seem plenty for a standard phone, some rugged designs have double this amount or even more. If you are intending to use the phone to charge other devices, then the battery capacity of the Pilot 8 and its 5W reverse charging isn’t ideal.

You want macro photography
While the 6P optics on the primary camera allow for plenty of zoom levels, you can’t get especially close to subjects with it. There is no specific macro mode, and photographing a flower or insect at close quarters would be a real challenge. If you do close-up photography, this is not the phone for you.

For more ruggedized devices, we've reviewed the best rugged tablets, the best rugged laptops, and the best rugged hard drives

A new Apple TV set-top box and HomePod mini are also expected to be unveiled Tuesday.

The AI boom is quickly reaching the physical limits of grid capacity and thermal dissipation. The electric grid is stretched as ever, causing longer connection waits for AI data centers, and conventional air and liquid cooling systems struggle to meet the demands of rapidly growing facilites.

As they continue growing at a rapid pace, AI data centers now face a mix of challenges, from computing power outpacing GPU interconnects’ data transfer abilities, to volatile load swings stretching grid power factor correction (PFC) systems and rack power density overloading traditional cooling systems.

Let’s break down the major thermal and electrical bottlenecks slowing the AI boom and how companies are innovating their way out.

The thermal wall (Rack-level friction)

Standard server racks generate a lot of heat, and high-performing GPU clusters generate even more, pushing thermal limits further than ever. Modern GPU racks exceed 50 to 100 kW of power consumption per cabinet, making traditional air and liquid cooling methods insufficient.

Standard cooling systems keep clusters operating between 65 and 85 degrees, but 90 to 100 degrees trigger performance throttling to prevent permanent GPU damage. With GPU racks drawing massive electrical energy, which converts into heat, preventing them from hitting throttling limits has become harder than ever.

Traditional air cooling systems weren’t built for rack densities surpassing 30 to 40 kW, which AI clusters easily surpass, with 100 kW or more becoming the norm. Maintaining airflow at high densities to cool 100 kW+ power racks requires running power-hungry fans at extreme speeds. This saps electrical energy and worsens the Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) for the data centers. To cool mega AI clusters with air alone, operators would need “hurricane-grade” airflow, which is impractical. Then how about liquid cooling?

Liquid cooling relies on fluid mechanics, where cold plates use microchannels to force turbulent flows directly over chips to keep them cool. Keeping enough volume of fluid flowing through these microchannels requires massive pumping power, an increasing constraint for data center operators. To mitigate this challenge, operators are pivoting to direct-to-chip cold plates mounted directly on the processor, rather than over it, to keep it cool while consuming less pumping power.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Phase-change mechanics are also helping GPU clusters cool more efficiently. Here, the clusters use the latent heat of liquid vaporization or solid-liquid transitions to absorb the massive heat spikes from high-density GPU racks. Specialized dielectric fluid comes in direct contact with the hot GPUs and then boils into vapor to instantly pull away heat. The vapor then rises, reaches a condenser, and converts back into liquid droplets via gravity, then drips back into the pool to repeat the process. This process is known as two-phase immersion cooling, and it reduces cooling energy by up to 40%.

Some data center operators are pivoting to closed-loop liquid cooling systems, where recirculated fluid cools the GPUs with little to no evaporation loss, removing the need for frequent top-ups.

For example, Microsoft, a top-three data center operator by capacity, has implemented a closed-loop system for newer data centers, where water is filled once and circulated to servers to absorb heat, moved to air-chilled coolers to cool down, then recirculated to absorb heat without needing fresh supplies. This system is costly and will take some time to roll out at scale, but it demonstrates how companies are innovating against thermal bottlenecks.

The interconnect and board-level limits

GPU clusters rely on electrical copper or optical interconnects to share data, memory, and workloads. Electrical copper interconnects have long been the standard, but high GPU workloads have pushed them to the limit.

Electrical signals lose strength over long distances (greater than two meters), with usable reach halving every time bandwidth requirements double, and massive GPU clusters have made the communication distances longer than ever. Closely packed copper interconnects also generate electromagnetic interference that disrupts other signals, requiring complex equalization systems that drain more power.

There’s also the issue of power loss across copper plates on GPU circuit boards (due to resistance). The more current transmitted through copper plates, the more heat is generated, requiring more cooling energy that itself is already a bottleneck.

With electrical interconnects hitting their absolute limits, data center owners have little choice but to pivot to optical interconnects, which convert data into light pulses that travel through fiber optic cables with minimal loss over long distances. These cables are way thinner than copper bundles, creating more airflow paths in dense, heat-generating GPU racks.

Companies are even moving from pluggable fiber optic cables to silicon photonics, or co-packaged optics (CPO), where optical circuits are embedded directly on GPUs to transmit light over long distances. For now, optical interconnects are much costlier than electrical copper, costing up to 7x more in some GPU setups, but there’s little choice but to absorb this cost in the short term because the latter has reached physical limits. On the bright side, as more companies adopt optical interconnects and invest in mass production, the costs will likely reduce.

The grid & substation crisis

Lastly, electric grid connection is the primary challenge affecting AI data centers. Modern electric grids weren’t designed to handle the rapidly increasing loads of AI data centers, with 30 GW of new capacity added worldwide from 2021 to 2025 alone. Rapidly growing additions have stretched the supply chain for electric grid components and introduced engineering challenges that grid operators must work around.

For instance, high-voltage transformers that ensure safe voltage delivery to GPU clusters are in short supply. Wait times have spiked from 6 to 12 months as of 2020 to two to four years currently, much longer than expensive mega GPU clusters can wait for their operations to get powered.

Existing power factor correction systems on grid networks have become strained by massive load draws from new AI data centers. GPU clusters shift power demand within seconds, with one second of low inference demand drawing stable power from the grid and the next second drawing excessive power because of usage spikes. These fluctuations create complex harmonics that overheat transformers and affect the grid, needing grid operators to invest heavily in mitigation systems.

AI clusters are scaling to gigawatt levels, pushing voltage step-down switchgear to its most tolerable limits. Larger transformers, needed to serve these gigawatt-level clusters, lower electrical impedance, forcing potentially high short-circuit fault currents down a line. If a short circuit ever occurs, magnetic fields exert tough mechanical forces on switchgear busbars, causing them to bend or rip free from their mechanical support. What comes next is a structural failure, which grid operators or isolated data center power networks can’t let happen.

Companies have turned to various solutions to counter these electrical bottlenecks. For one, there has been a major turn to solid-state transformers, which use high-frequency power electronics and semiconductors to step down voltage, not magnetic fields like conventional transformers.

(Image credit: Docan Power)

High-frequency electronics enable solid-state transformers to actively regulate voltage and filter harmonics, leading to fewer fluctuations. They are 97 to 99% efficient, compared to 95% to 97% for conventional transformers, and that 1 to 2% difference adds up to a lot in gigawatt-level data centers. Better yet, they are much smaller and lighter than conventional transformers, enabling faster logistics and deployment.

However, SSTs introduce their own challenges. The internal high-frequency components and chips powering them are expensive, often five times or more per kVA than low-frequency alternatives. They also require multiple power conversion stages (AC-DC and DC-AC/DC-DC), and tiny losses compound during these conversions, making it difficult to hit peak efficiency. Internal components generate heat and age faster, requiring more active maintenance than conventional transformers.

Cost is also an issue, as SSTs are currently much more expensive to build and maintain than magnet-based transformers. However, with more investment in mass production, costs will likely reduce over time, allowing AI GPU clusters to adopt them faster. Siemens, the world’s second-largest transformer manufacturer, recently partnered with fellow German tech firm Reinhausen to mass-produce a modular solid-state transformer for AI data centers, and that’s just one example.

Because SSTs can’t be immediately adopted at scale, and conventional transformer shortages have contributed to long wait times for electric grid owners, AI data center owners have been forced to take matters into their own hands. Some have built their behind-the-meter power generation and substation systems to power GPU clusters as they wait to get connected to local grids. xAI, the Elon Musk-led AI company, added 59 portable natural gas turbines, with a combined capacity of over 400 MW, to power its Colossus data center in Memphis, Tennessee, while it waits for a grid connection.

Some data center owners are also looking at Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), where compact nuclear fission reactors generate power on-site, but that’s still mostly in the conceptual stage at this point. SMRs face various limitations, particularly very high costs compared to gas turbines or renewables.

Still, many other data centers, both in early and late construction phases or completed, remain in long queues for electrical grid connections. For instance, in Northern Virginia, which hosts the world’s largest cluster of data centers (570 and gradually increasing), new facilities face wait times of up to 14 years for a grid connection.

US-based electrical grid operators have invested massive amounts in upgrades ($208 billion in 2025 alone and $1.1 trillion in planned investments from 2025 to 2030, per Edison Electric) but still struggle to meet exploding data center demand. More investments are needed to address electrical grid bottlenecks, and so are new technologies that can reduce data center energy consumption to help distribution networks keep up.

The reality of next-generation compute deployment

With technical details, we’ve explained the grid, thermal, and GPU interconnect bottlenecks stretching the next-generation AI compute deployment boom to its limits. These are serious physical and technical challenges that require innovative approaches to address, and fortunately, there’s been no shortage of these approaches.

We’ve outlined examples like electric grid operators turning to solid-state transformers that allow active voltage regulation and harmonic filtering to keep power systems stable, or some GPU cluster operators building their own power generation systems while they wait for local grid connections.

For thermal bottlenecks, GPU cluster operators are leveraging direct-to-chip cold plates mounted directly on GPUs, instead of over them, to stay cool while consuming less energy. Phase-change mechanics also help, where liquid vapor absorbs heat from GPU racks, pulls the heat away, and recondenses back into liquid to repeat the process, reducing energy needs by up to 40%.

Microsoft has tried to reinvent the wheel by implementing a closed-loop liquid cooling system, using liquid coolants continuously recirculated in a sealed pipe network with minimal top-ups.

However, closed-loop cooling systems are more difficult to expand than open-loop systems as GPU needs grow, and they can be louder under heavy loads as pump motors and radiator fans run simultaneously. At a time of growing public backlash against new data centers, environmental noise matters too, not just technical limitations. Closed-loop systems are also more expensive, but costs can reduce over time as more companies adopt them.

For interconnect limits at the circuit board level, companies are switching from electrical copper to fiber optic cables because they transmit data faster and more reliably over long distances, even though they cost more. GPU manufacturers are working on embedding optical circuits directly on chips to transmit light even more efficiently than cables.

Despite these challenges, AI data centers continue to grow at a rapid pace, with 66 GW of new capacity currently under construction in North America alone.

Looking to the future, it's clear a lot is happening in this area, and it’s exciting to watch the various approaches companies have adopted to surmount the electrical, thermal, and interconnect bottlenecks.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 arrived earlier this year boasting a familiar trick: it folds into a pocket-friendly square and places a surprisingly useful screen on the outside.

With this new model, Samsung has kept the basic Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 formula intact, but shaved down the body, improved the hinge, added more processing power, and made the cover screen easier to live with.

The displays, camera hardware, battery, and charging have barely moved, though, leaving last year’s Galaxy Z Flip 7 looking far from obsolete — it's also now much cheaper than its newer sibling.

To help you make sense of what's changed and which model is best, we've weighed up the price, design, displays, cameras, performance, software, and battery life of these two foldable phones to see which deserves your money.

As a disclaimer, we've fully reviewed the Galaxy Z Flip 7, but not the Galaxy Z Flip 8. We have spent time with the former model, though, so we've based our judgements on both hands-on experience and on-paper specs.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: specs comparison

Before we dig into the details, here’s an overview of both phones’ key specs:

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7

Dimensions:

85.7 x 75.4 x 13.1mm folded; 166.9 x 75.4 x 6.1mm unfolded

85.5 x 75.2 x 13.7mm folded; 166.7 x 75.2 x 6.5mm unfolded

Weight:

180g

188g

Display:

6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X main; 4.1-inch Super AMOLED cover

6.9-inch AMOLED main; 4.1-inch AMOLED cover

Refresh rate:

1–120Hz main; 60/120Hz cover

Up to 120Hz on both displays

Peak brightness:

2,600 nits

2,600 nits

Chipset:

Exynos 2600 / Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, depending on region

Exynos 2500

RAM:

12GB

12GB

Rear cameras:

50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide

50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide

Front camera:

10MP

10MP

Battery:

4,300mAh

4,300mAh

Charging:

25W wired, 15W wireless

25W wired, 15W wireless

Storage:

256GB / 512GB

256GB / 512GB

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: price and availability

Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Flip 8 in July 2026, and the phone went on sale on August 7. Prices start at $1,199.99 / £1,149 / AU$1,949 for the 256GB model, rising to $1,399.99 / £1,319 / AU$2,249 for 512GB.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 arrived in 2025 at $1,099 / £1,049 / AU$1,799 for 256GB, while the 512GB version launched at $1,219 / £1,149 / AU$1,999.

Samsung is therefore asking an extra $100 for the entry-level Z Flip 8, despite retaining the same storage capacity. The gap grows further with the 512GB models, and the older Flip 7 is likely to become even more tempting as retailers clear stock and discounts begin to appear, especially around sales events like Black Friday.

Given the global memory shortage and rising inflation, Samsung's decision to raise the price of the Galaxy Z Flip 8 makes some sense, but it does mean the Z Flip 7 — which is still a great phone — represents even better value in 2026.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: designThe Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 FutureThe Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7Future

Samsung has focused on making the Galaxy Z Flip 8 a little easier to carry and use, rather than giving it a big redesign. At 180g, it's 8g lighter than the Flip 7, while its 6.1mm unfolded body is 0.4mm thinner.

Fold the two phones shut, and the difference grows slightly, with the Flip 8 measuring 13.1mm compared with 13.7mm for its predecessor.

The revised Armor FlexHinge is the more useful change. Samsung has reduced friction inside the mechanism and widened the inner edges so that your fingers have more room to open the phone.

In our early hands-on testing of the Galaxy Z Flip 8, the phone felt noticeably easier to open and close than the previous model — a small refinement that should become more valuable when you repeat the motion dozens of times each day.

Otherwise, the family resemblance is strong. Both phones use the same flat-sided clamshell shape, with the large cover screen wrapping around the two rear cameras.

The Flip 7 already felt sturdy and polished, although its familiar Galaxy styling could look rather restrained beside some rival foldables.

Winner: Galaxy Z Flip 8

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: displayThe Galaxy Z Flip 8's display FutureThe Galaxy Z Flip 7's display Future

Samsung has carried both of the Flip 7’s displays straight over to the Galaxy Z Flip 8. Each phone opens to reveal a 6.9-inch, 1080 x 2520 AMOLED panel with a 1–120Hz adaptive refresh rate, while the outside is covered by a 4.1-inch, 948 x 1048 FlexWindow. Peak brightness remains 2,600 nits.

That leaves little room between them on paper, although this is hardly a weakness for the older phone. In our review of the device, we awarded the Flip 7 a perfect 5/5 for its displays, finding the inner screen bright and clear even outdoors.

The Flip 8 receives some cover-screen improvements, but the main changes concern how Samsung’s software uses the FlexWindow rather than the panel itself. We’ll cover those additions later.

Both phones offer two excellent screens, and there is no convincing hardware reason to choose one over the other.

Winner: Tie

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: camerasThe Galaxy Z Flip 8's rear cameras FutureThe Galaxy Z Flip 7's rear cameras Philip Berne / Future

Samsung has left the underlying camera hardware unchanged — you might be sensing a theme emerging here.

Both phones combine a 50MP main camera with a 12MP ultra-wide and a 10MP selfie camera, with no dedicated telephoto lens for longer-range shots.

In our testing, the Flip 7 produced strong results with more natural-looking colors than some older Samsung phones and an excellent Portrait mode.

Its folding design also lets you use the cover screen as a viewfinder for sharper selfies from the 50MP rear camera, although the lack of optical zoom limits its versatility.

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 directs its attention towards video.

Camcorder Grip places the recording and zoom controls within easy reach when the phone is held sideways, while Super Steady’s Horizontal Lock can keep footage level as the handset moves or rotates.

Our early hands-on found the latter feature particularly effective, although more aggressive stabilization can crop the frame and reduce image quality.

Winner: Galaxy Z Flip 8

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: performance and softwareThe Galaxy Z Flip 8's cover screen FutureThe Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7's cover screenZachariah Kelly / TechRadar

This is where the Galaxy Z Flip 8 begins to put some meaningful distance between itself and its predecessor.

US and Australian models of the Z Flip 8 use Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset, while the UK version of the phone receives Samsung’s Exynos 2600, replacing the Exynos 2500 inside the Flip 7. The latter chipset features in every version of the Flip 7, in every region.

The older phone still handles everyday apps, split-screen multitasking, and Samsung DeX without much trouble, but its performance was one of the weaker parts of our review. The Flip 8 has considerably more headroom for gaming, demanding apps, and Samsung’s growing collection of AI features — even if your version of the phone uses the Exynos 2600, and not the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

Its software is also better suited to the folding design. Android 17 and One UI 9 add a proper FlexWindow app tray and let you rearrange widgets directly from the cover screen.

Both phones receive seven generations of Android upgrades, but the Flip 8 naturally starts one version later and offers a smoother cover-screen experience from day one.

Winner: Galaxy Z Flip 8

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: batteryThe Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 FutureThe Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7Future

Samsung has kept the same 4,300mAh battery in both phones, alongside 25W wired and 15W wireless charging.

Neither model comes close to the fastest-charging foldables, and the Flip 8 gains no extra capacity to offset its more powerful hardware.

The Flip 7 generally made it through a full day in our review, although heavier photography or gaming could leave it needing an evening top-up.

The Flip 8’s newer chipset should use that capacity more efficiently, but the improvement is unlikely to transform the experience. These remain one-day phones with relatively slow charging, leaving little to separate them.

Winner: Tie

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 (Image credit: Future)

The most revealing thing about this comparison is how mature Samsung’s Flip formula has become.

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 improves the parts you touch every day — weight, thickness, hinge action, performance, and cover-screen software — while leaving the displays, camera hardware, battery, and charging largely untouched.

Given these upgrades, the Flip 8 is a better phone for someone buying their first Flip, especially if they plan to keep it for several years.

Existing Flip 7 owners have far less reason to move. Last year’s model still delivers most of the same foldable experience, and its lower price makes the Flip 8’s refinements look expensive rather than essential.

Overall winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8

There’s no doubt that AI has helped revolutionize the world of work at many companies, with human employees working alongside agents to unlock improved efficiency and productivity.

But for many firms, the promise of AI is still being overshadowed by the sheer scale of the endeavor - with so many models (and new ones emerging on a seemingly weekly basis), how do you know what is right for you?

One of the big themes at the recent Atlassian Team Europe 26 conference was how companies can cut through the chaos and realize their aims, so I spoke to the company’s top AI minds to find out more.

The power of teams

“Atlassian's entire ethos is all around teams - unleashing the power of the team is our mission,” Atlassian Chief Product & AI Officer, Tamar Yehoshua tells me at Team Europe 26.

“We've all been using AI agents (but) they're all more geared towards an individual,” she adds, “but they're not organized or effective for teams...so we're taking that and saying, ‘how do you work effectively with teams and AI’? That's multiplayer, and so we want to make sure everyone can work effectively, so you can collaborate with agents in an effective way like you can collaborate with humans.”

This “multiplayer” AI was another major theme at Team Europe 26, as Atlassian looked to emphasize its position as being the connector between customers and technology.

“Teamwork is very messy, and our job is to make it much less messy, and understandable and controllable for our customers,” Atlassian Head of AI Sherif Mansour says.

“A lot of AI is about increasing personal productivity…the same problems we solve for humans, we solve for agents.”

(Image credit: Atlassian)

“Every customer we talk to, everyone is using AI - it's no longer should we, or what do we do - that's already happened...but people are not sure how to use it effectively, and they're not sure if they're getting the maximum ROI,” Yehoshua adds.

“You see the evolution with every new technology, first there’s scepticism, then curiosity, and then its acceptance, and then it’s optimising - I think we’ve gotten through the initial phases, and now we’re asking, how do I use this effectively and optimize it?”

She notes there are different levels of anxiety for customers, as the sheer number of new AI models coming out can be disorientating, especially with the need to stay flexible for when new models launch.

She notes that companies don’t want to be using advanced models for simple tasks - something Mansour refers to as “killing a mosquito with a rocket launcher” - so making sure the right model for the job is on offer is vital.

Atlassian’s AI gateway looks to pick the best model for the task within its products - so for example, Rovo work will switch to a new model if a more advanced one is released, all without the customer ever knowing - although they retain the ability to pick their own model if they want.

Yehoshua also highlights new upgrades to Loom, which now offers video generation from pull requests, and AI agents which use Rovo to categorize defects and cut down on duplicate reports.

No silver bullets

“AI feels like chaos to many of us - but I don’t think the answer is giving them a silver bullet that will solve all their problems,” Mansour says.

“We like to use the phrase ‘give them a nervous system’ so they can handle it - we’re always thinking about how we can bring calm and visibility and control to the chaos.”

Mansour says he advises customers not to bet entirely on one provider for the whole context graph, as the real value comes from collaborating with multiple entities to gain different kinds of opportunities and insights.

“There’s a lot of silver bullet offerings…but no-one really talks about the messiness of work,” he says, “it’s about creating a system to help you control the chaos - the chaos will always be there, but how do you make sure you’re aware of it?”

“It’s less about making teamwork perfect - it’s about making teamwork less messy.”

(Image credit: Atlassian)

I ask Yehoshua about personal usage - is she embracing the chaos of AI, or taming it for maximum efficiency.

“Everything that I do, I ask myself first - if this is a process I could change?,” she says, “if you look at AI and how it’s working, the biggest thing is behavior change…I tell customers, there is so much power in the tools they already have, and building in that behavior change is important, but it has to come from the top-down.”

How do we make sure we don’t go too far, and just automate all work processes, I ask her.

“I think it’s going to be trial and error - I think we’re going to try things and some of them might not work - but I honestly don’t think that’s our problem yet,” she replies, noting that enterprises often have the guardrails and protections needed to ensure a human always remains in the loop, and the answers can be trusted.

In an earlier session, Atlassian CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes had declared that, “customers are not subscribing for the software we've built, but for the software we will build”.

Normally you might question such a forward-looking statement, but with Atlassian’s focus on collaboration, it seems to ring true.

“The pace of delivery has increased significantly,” Yehoshua says, “you want to align with the companies that have the same vision as you do…people in some ways want more flexibility, as things are changing so fast, especially with models, they don’t want to be locked in…we are a neutral party who want to make it easy for our customers to work - we’ve always been the open platform who focuses on the team.”

“The main advantage we have is our platform,” she adds, “the strength of what we do is that customers are using us across so many different areas of their workloads.”

Do more - with more

Looking forward, it’s clear AI is here to stay - and it’s down to businesses themselves to judge how best to embrace it.

“I think we've now empowered more people to do more,” Yehoshua says. “Anyone can build a prototype - now that doesn’t mean that you want anybody checking in production code - so you still have to have very clear guidelines on what can go into production - but the idea is that it’s democratized, where the ideas can come from…so you have so many more options on how the lifecycle can evolve.”

“Worlds are expanding - they’re not going to be merged into one, but everyone can do more…every role can do more, so that everything is accelerated.”

Mansour agrees, pointing out that harnessing the power of context in your data can be the ultimate differentiator between your business and the competition.

“If we all have access to the same intelligence, that’s like a level playing field, it’s the sum of all averages - what’s unique is the actual perspective you bring to the table,” he says.

“Our customers shine when their context shines - and so anything we can do to help them enrich the context, understand it better to provide it to AI in a secure way, they will always get better results from that.”

• Stream The Party free on ITVX (UK restricted)
• Unblock ITVX with NordVPN (75% off now)
• Watch Episodes 1-5 now; Sunday, October 11

ITV’s new thriller The Party stars Luke Evans as journalist Martin Gilmour and Tom Cullen as his childhood friend Ben Fitzmaurice.

Based on Elizabeth Day’s bestselling novel and adapted by Sarah Solemani, the five-part drama follows a celebration that takes a shocking turn. The Party also stars Joanna Scanlan and Lydia Leonard.

So how can you watch The Party on ITVX from outside the UK? Can you get a free stream in the US, Australia or Canada? And is ITVX available as a smartphone app?

Here's our full (and quick) guide to how to watch The Party for free...

How to watch The Party for free on ITVX

Watch all five episodes of The Party for free on ITVX from Sunday, October 11.

You don't need a ITVX subscription, just a valid TV license and to sign up with your email.

New to ITVX? Register for a free account or download the app on your mobile device.

OUTSIDE THE U.K.? ACCESS ITVX FROM ANYWHERE WITH A VPN.

How to watch The Party on ITVX from anywhere

ITVX is only available to UK residents with a TV license signed up to the free service.

Luke Evans fans traveling or working outside the UK will need to use a VPN to access ITVX's free The Party episodes in the US and Australia.

There are lots of VPNs but NordVPN is the one you can rely on to unblock ITVX and stream ITV thriller The Party (2026).

NordVPN – try it risk-free for 30 days
Looking to access ITVX from outside the UK? If you're traveling abroad, use NordVPN to access ITVX as if you right back home in the United Kingdom. We test all the providers and we rate Nord as the best VPN. There's 24/7 support available, a money-back guarantee and, best of all, you'll currently get over 75% off with this deal.View Deal

It's really easy to use a VPN to watch The Party on ITVX.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is the best choice.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're visiting the US and want to watch your free usual ITVX stream, you'd select 'United Kingdom'.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to ITVX create an account or sign in, and watch The Party free.

Which devices can I watch The Party on ITVX with?

You can use ITVX on all of the following devices and platforms:

Amazon Fire (Tablets, Cube, Stick, TVs)
Android TV (please note: some models aren’t supported)
Android (Mobile & Tablet) - Android 7.0 and above
Apple TV (tvOS 14 or later)
Google TV (Chromecast with Google TV and NVIDIA Shield)
Freely
Freesat (please note: some models aren’t supported)
Freeview Play (TVs and set-top boxes)
iOS (iPhone & iPad) - iOS 14 and above
LG Smart TVs (2016-2024)
NOW Smart Sticks and Boxes (minimum firmware v11.5.0)
PlayStation (PS4 and PS5)
Roku (Stick & Roku-OS powered TVs, minimum firmware v11.5.0)
Samsung Smart TVs (2017 and above)
Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream puckVirgin Media (360, Stream, TiVo)
YouView (BT, Humax, Sony, TalkTalk)
Xbox (One, Series X, Series S)

The Party (2026) – Full Cast

Luke Evans as Martin Gilmour

Tom Cullen as Ben Fitzmaurice

Sarah Solemani as Lucy Gilmour, Martin's wife

Joanna Scanlan as Sylvia Gilmour, Martin's mother

Lydia Leonard as Serena Fitzmaurice, Ben's wife

Lindsay Duncan as Lady Katherine Fitzmaurice, Ben's mother

Douglas Hodge as Lord George Fitzmaurice, Ben's father

Sam Troughton — role not specified

Sally Scott — role not specified

Sinéad Matthews — role not specified

Bally Gill — role not specified

Amaka Okafor — role not specified

Rakie Ayola — role not specified

Also listed in the cast are Phoenix Laroche as Barnaby Fitzmaurice and Tilly Walker as Cosima Fitzmaurice.

Martin vs Ben: We break down the main characters...

Luke Evans in The Party (Image credit: ITV)

Martin Gilmour (Luke Evans)
A calculated and buttoned-up man, Martin is a political journalist whose opinion pieces always seem to favour Ben Fitzmaurice’s position. As the new scholarship boy from South Wales, Martin fell in love with Ben at school and has kept himself in Ben’s circle ever since, by whatever means necessary.

Martin remains loyal to Ben, despite a secret in their past which caused a seismic shift in their relationship, and these days has to contend with Ben’s growing family and political ambitions. That is until the secrets that have bound Martin to Ben threaten to come out…

Ben Fitzmaurice (Tom Cullen)
A confident, charismatic man who has had the world laid at his feet. Born into landed gentry, Ben is a Conservative Party MP with eyes on the party leadership. He has a charm that comes with growing up with an innate safety net.

A gifted speaker, Ben has the ability to hold a room with ease, but beneath this bluster run deeper emotions that Ben has yet to face up to. When his own impulsive decisions throw everything into disarray at his birthday party, Ben is forced to confront his dark past head on. As the hedonism of the party rises the temperature, Ben has to reckon with the truth of what he did… can he really run from the truth forever?

The Party launches on Sunday 11th October with Episode 2 airing on Monday 12th October, on ITV1, ITVX, STV & STV Player

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Solar power continues to be used more widely, and the science behind the technology is developing too: researchers from the Institut de Ciencies Fotoniques (ICFO) in Barcelona, Spain have just announced a breakthrough in solar cell engineering that could push efficiency rates beyond the standard 33% ceiling.

When the solar panels of today convert sunlight to electricity, most of the energy is lost along the way, through heat and light — one way to think about it is as the 'cost' of conversion. A physics theory known as the Shockley-Queisser limit predicts that we'll only ever be able to hit a 33% conversion rate in standard single-layer solar cells.

However, scientists like the team at ICFO are hard at work trying to break the Shockley-Queisser rules. In this particular study, the focus is on the faint infrared glow that solar cells give off: it's technically called the Boltzmann loss, and it's part of the reason today's solar tech is stuck below that 33% limit.

Beat the glow

The ICFO research team (Image credit: ICFO)

When sunlight hits a solar panel, the photons in the light knock electrons loose in the panel's semiconductor material. Those electrons can be pushed out as electricity, but not all of the electrons are collected in time: some escape and are turned back into photons, which creates an infrared glow spilling out in all directions.

To tackle the problem, the ICFO team took a standard solar cell and swapped out the transparent front electrode — that's the bit the sunlight strikes first, and it has to both conduct electricity while also letting as many photons through as possible.

Rather than using the standard indium tin oxide for a front electrode, the scientists used a very thin layer of silver, thin enough to let most of the light through, operate as a conductor, and also behave partly like a mirror. This restricted the angles through which light could escape, boosting the efficiency rate.

"Our study is a significant step forward in the solar energy conversion field as it opens a completely unexplored route to surpass the Shockley-Queisser limit," says Dr. Francisco Bernal Texca, the first author of the new study.

By adapting and evolving the approach used here, the scientists say that efficiencies close to 43% could be possible, in theory — though it's important to note that the team only observed small gains in efficiency in their tests. The 43% claim is a prediction about the potential of this method.

This 'mirrored box' approach to solar cells has been explored in the past, but no one's been able to get it working in a lab before, or to get boosts in both voltage and current at the same time (a critical part of the setup).

Stacking and splitting

Longi has had an efficiency announcement of its own to make (Image credit: Longi)

As the ICFO researchers point out, there are multiple angles to approach solar panel efficiency from, and there's progress being made in all of them. There are basically three ways that energy is lost from sunlight in a solar panel: through light loss (as above), through heat loss, and through the photons having too little energy to be converted.

There's a lot of attention being paid to the heat loss part of the problem, and the most common way scientists are trying to get around this is by stacking two materials together. These have different bandgaps, which are essentially the minimum energy a photon needs to kick an electron loose. A bigger bandgap means more photons can be caught (it captures a greater spectrum of light, essentially).

Earlier this year, Chinese solar manufacturer Longi set a new record of 35.5% efficiency by stacking a crystal material called perovskite on top of a conventional silicon cell. The bandgap of perovskite can be 'tuned' to accept specific wavelengths of light, which means higher energy photons can be absorbed.

You'll see a lot of different records and percentages announced though, which relate to different materials and different solar cell technologies. For example, researchers from Kyushu University and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz recently announced a quantum yield of 130% with their own approach, using singlet fission.

That's a yield though, not an efficiency rate: to tackle solar panel heat loss, singlet fission splits high energy photons into two packets, which can then free two electrons, and in this case it produced 13 energy packets for every 10 photons. It could eventually improve solar cell efficiency further down the line, but more work is needed to develop it.

While this solar panel science can get quite dense and complicated, the end goal is simple to understand. As these technologies are refined and commercialized, we'll be able to get more electricity from solar panels without increasing their size, cutting utility bills and reducing our reliance on fossil fuel energy.