I don't know if there's a right age for an iPhone, but I think most can agree that there should be different smartphone and online experiences based on age, and that's really the philosophy behind most digital parental controls, including the fairly voluminous ones found across Apple's ecosystem. Now, with iOS 26 – and other platform updates – on the horizon, that system is set for a series of small but important updates.
I've seen most of them in action and, on the whole, I think these may be just the series of privacy and safety controls parents and, yes, even teens and kids, have been looking for.
To Apple's credit, it's been adding to and enhancing its parental control ecosystem for years. So much so that many parents may only scratch the surface of its vast platform of controls.
Worth noting that if you identify a new device like an iPhone or iPad as going to a child or teen, many of the controls, like web content restrictions, app restrictions (apps rated 4-plus only), screen distance alerts, and messaging filters that automatically blur out the naughty bits, will function automatically.
There are, though, key safety changes that you can enable when Apple releases public versions of its OS updates for the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
The age of appropriatenessYour child's iPhone and iPad are already pretty good, based on your Parental Control settings, at managing your kid's access to age-appropriate apps, but Apple is going further in iOS26, iPadOS26, and macOS 26 (essentially any platform that's part of your Family Plan and that can access the App Store).
Image 1 of 3(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)Image 2 of 3(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)Image 3 of 3(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)Age Appropriate Experiences seems designed to help prevent App developers from inadvertently delivering inappropriate in-app content to your children and teens. It's enabled through a series of simple screen prompts that let you supply the age (but not birthdate) of your children to developers.
Using this information, developers can ensure that regardless of which apps you let them download, their apps only deliver content that aligns with the child's age.
I appreciate that there's another level of control: parents can choose if the Age range is "Always" shared, if developers have to "Ask First", or if it's "Never" shared. I think I like the second option best because it's the only one that allows the child to choose if they want their age range shared with developers.
Getting the right messageOnce your child has an iPhone and a phone number, it's almost guaranteed that they will be targeted by predators. There is a simple setting in iOS right now that lets you automatically block unknown numbers (Filter Unknown Senders under Settings/Apps/Messages). However, iOS 26 will take these protections further.
With iOS 26, your child won't be able to add just anyone to their contacts and messaging lists.
If your child wants to add a study buddy to messaging on their iPhone or iPad, they'll see a new pop-up that will let them "Ask a Parent or Guardian to Approve this Person".
Image 1 of 9(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)Image 2 of 9(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)Image 3 of 9(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)Image 4 of 9(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)Image 5 of 9(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)Image 6 of 9(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)Image 7 of 9(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)Image 8 of 9(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)Image 9 of 9(Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future)If the child or teen selects the pop-up, a pre-populated message appears where they can fill in the friend's details and add a message explaining who the person is. Parents get a time-sensitive notification on their devices with the details and message. They can choose to add the contact, decline, or select "Not now."
Once the friend is added, your child or teen will get a message telling them they can call or message the new contact. Of course, it might make sense to pause in the middle of this process to chat in person with your kid and make sure the "study buddy" is really just another kid.
Apps less limitedApple's parental controls make it quite easy to set time limits and even exclude apps from view so that when your child searches the App Store, they won't even see those not-age-appriate apps in the App Store.
Apple, though, appears to have recognized that some kids are, well, sneaky.
When you set time limit controls at an app level or even globally, your child can request more time with the app. Approving the extension requires the parent's passcode, which they can enter remotely from their best iPhone or best iPad, or in person if they happen to be sitting next to their kid. If the kid has been surreptitiously watching you enter the passcode and has it memorized, they could be granting themselves more screen time.
With this small yet useful upcoming update, parents will receive notifications whenever their passcode is used.
Making the exceptionParents get to choose which apps their kids can access, but there will soon be a new button at the top of App description pages that will offer the ability to request an exception.
That request goes to parents who can grant permission, which immediately turns on the "Get" option on an app.
This might come in handy when, say, your child has a project where some YouTube research will come in handy. However, when the project is done, you can just as quickly revoke the exception, and then not only does access in the App Store disappear, but the app also disappears from your child's device.
This is a level of control I can get behind.
Tell us how you manage your child's screen time in the comments below.
You might also likeEmdoor, a company that has mostly kept a low profile since 2023, is now releasing another system that it calls a "high-end PC workstation with next-gen AI chip."
The device, listed under the code "EM-959-NM16ASH-1," comes with AMD’s Ryzen AI MAX processors, also known as Strix Halo.
The Emdoor EM-959-NM16ASH-1 features soldered LPDDR5X-8000 memory on a 256-bit bus, giving high bandwidth but preventing upgrades.
A workstation or gaming laptop?Although the memory is limited to a maximum of 128GB at purchase, the storage is more flexible with two PCIe 4.0×4 M.2 slots supporting up to 8TB.
The display is a 16-inch panel at 2560x1600 resolution, with refresh options of either 165Hz or 180Hz.
Such specifications may attract users looking for a video editing laptop, but they also blur the line between workstation and gaming hardware.
That impression is further reinforced by leaked internal file names tied to the design, which included the term "GAMES."
At 2.45kg, the system is heavier than many of its rivals, with the likes of Sixunited's XN77-160M-CS and HP's ZBook Ultra G1a weighing less than 1.8kg.
Although bulkier construction may have been chosen to handle the 45–120W thermal design of Strix Halo, this weight might be acceptable only for a stationary workstation, as buyers seeking a business laptop may not find this design appealing.
It also includes a 99Wh battery that is claimed to last eight hours, but without independent testing, such claims remain promises.
Cooling is handled by a dual-fan setup coupled with triple heat pipes and a quad-exhaust system.
The company markets this system as a workstation, but the aesthetics, refresh rates, and naming history suggest gaming roots.
Since Emdoor acts as an original design manufacturer, the same model could easily appear under another brand marketed as a gaming system.
Whether this laptop becomes a reliable tool for professionals or fades into obscurity, as some of the firm’s past projects have, will only be clear once it reaches the market and real-world feedback emerges.
Currently, only a limited number of PCs feature the Strix Halo chip, with examples including the Asus ROG Flow Z13 (13.4″), the HP ZBook Ultra 14 G1a, and a handful of others.
In terms of pricing, these devices cost well over $2,000, and considering the specifications of the Emdoor EM-959-NM16ASH-1, it will likely cost more.
Via Videocardz
You might also likeThe Groov-e Wave Glow is a very affordable portable speaker and one with sound quality to match that price tag. Yes, this is one that will infuriate the ears of audiophiles sounding somewhat tinny at times and slightly lacking any oomph across the course of my listening.
On the other hand, it has some funky looking lights which I found rather endearing, a comfy to grip strap, and some surprising ways to connect it to your music. Besides Bluetooth, you can also plug in a USB flash drive, slot in a TF card (both admittedly with a tight 64GB limit), and there’s an aux port. It’s not often you see these features in a tiny speaker any more. Granted, not everyone will need these but if you do, well, your options are limited making this more tempting.
Of course, don’t count on it rivalling the best Bluetooth speakers. This is a decidedly cheap speaker. It feels a little cheap to the touch and there’s that dodgy sound quality. I say dodgy; it’s reminiscent of buying a cheap radio or speaker years ago, before good speakers were affordable for the masses. It’s not hideous, exactly, but it’s also fairly ‘blah’.
Away from that disappointing audio quality, the Groov-e Wave Glow has some chunky, tactile buttons for play/pause, volume, and adjusting the lights, and the ports are all hidden behind a pull-out protective shell. Then there’s the lights up top and down bottom, and the elastic strap.
The Groov-e Wave Glow is priced at £23.99 and at the moment is only seemingly available in the UK, but that would make it under $35, or around AU$50. For that price, it’d be silly to expect too much, but if you can stretch further, you will find better options – more on those later. If money is that tight, however, or you’re looking for a cheap gift, the Groov-e Wave Glow still has some appeal.
(Image credit: Future)Groov-e Wave Glow review: price and release dateThe Groov-e Wave Glow was launched in May 2025 and is currently available to buy in the UK. It’s already seen some modest discounts but is generally available for £23.99.
That makes it one of the cheaper speakers around. The recently released Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus is close but is still usually priced at £39.99. If you’re able to increase your budget to that, there are a few other options like the JBL Go 4, but few as cheap as this one.
Groov-e Wave Glow review: specsWeight
645g
Dimensions
13.7 x 8 x 7.5 cm
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.3, aux-in, USB-C (charging)
Battery life
8 hours (quoted)
Speaker drivers
10W
Waterproofing
n/a
Groov-e Wave Glow review: featuresThe Groov-e Wave Glow is a fairly typical looking little Bluetooth speaker but with some surprising features. The highlight is its plethora of connections. Sure, you’ll be mostly using its Bluetooth connection, but it has other options. You can use its aux port to connect to other devices (and the speaker actually comes with a 3.5mm jack), while next to it is a TF (read: microSD) card slot, and the USB connection allows you to plug in a USB flash drive. Admittedly, both microSD and USB have a limitation of 64GB so you might have to search around for a compatible option, but it could be that specific situation that fits you perfectly.
There are no mics for speakerphone duties (although few speakers seem to offer that, these days) and battery life is a very unremarkable 8 hours. I’d have liked to have seen more here, especially as it takes 2 hours for a full recharge. Its Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity works fine and I had no issues using it with my iPhone 14 Pro but there were occasional dropouts on my PC – usually when I moved the speaker around.
Elsewhere, the LED lights are my favorite thing about the Groov-e Wave Glow. They visually bounce away while playing music and look suitably vibrant and exciting. They’re potentially more exciting than the audio quality, but I’ll get to that. It’s a neat touch either way and makes up for the lack of app support and thus in-app customization.
I didn’t expect much of the Groov-e Wave Glow but I have to be honest, it actually sounded a little worse than anticipated. It’s functional, of course, but pretty tinny at times. There’s no bass to speak of, but my word, do the lights try to atone for that. You're encouraged to feel like it’s doing its best, happily bouncing along. However, it’s pretty tame stuff.
Listening to spoken word – a podcast or YouTube video, say – is fine, but when you switch over to your favorite music, the limitations are much more noticeable. The volume can go pretty high, but that weakens the experience even more. I went for my cheesy favorite, Robbie William’s Let Me Entertain You to start, knowing exactly how it’s meant to sound and there was no urgency or strength in the mids.
I went bold then and loaded up some Muse and sighed as it sounded somewhat pitiful. The soundstage is weak but more importantly, the bass and general ambience is underwhelming.
The Groov-e Wave Glow is certainly exactly how you expect a speaker to look, but there are a few highlights. I’m a big fan of its buttons being attractive but tactile too, so anyone with visual impairments can find what they’re wanting to press. There are buttons for play/pause, volume, and for toggling the lights on or off.
There’s a chunky section for the ports too which blends in well and feels suitably snug. On another side is the strap which is elasticated but held in quite tightly. The idea is that you can easily hold it through the strap but also attach it to something like a hook. It feels nice in your hands which is the main thing here.
As with other similar speakers, the Groov-e Wave Glow is pretty lightweight to carry around. Up top and down the bottom is the lighting so you can place the Groov-e Wave Glow sideways as well as upright.
What lets it down in this section – and why not go higher than four stars? Well, any discussion on the design has to include the audio architecture under the hood, and as you'll know if you've read this far, this area is where the Wave Glow struggles. Also, unusually for a speaker in 2025, there's no mention of an IP rating for water or dust ingress – so it won't be joining the ranks of our best waterproof speakers buying guide any time soon.
The Groov-e Wave Glow is certainly cheap but its sound quality demonstrates exactly why it’s so cheap. Having said that, the aux port, USB flash drive support, and TF card slot could make it exactly what you’ve been looking for. For those people, there’s not much else to rival the Groov-e Wave Glow at this price.
However, if you’re looking for good audio, it’s a smart move to spend a little more on the JBL Go range or something from Anker Soundcore. The Groov-e Wave Glow definitely isn’t the best choice for music lovers, but it is super cheap and for many, that's the priority.
Attributes
Notes
Rating
Features
No app, but there are a few notable extras not on other models
4/5
Sound quality
The weakest element by far when considering the Wave Glow: tinny and lacking in low end
2/5
Design
Useful straps, fun lights and tactile buttons
4/5
Value
It's cheap, but given the sound quality, spending less doesn't always mean value
3/5
Buy it if...You want extra connectivity options
Many speakers still retain an aux port but TF and USB flash drive support? That’s what potentially makes the Groov-e Wave Glow your dream option. Only you know what you need most.
You want something for the summer
Just need a short term solution? The Groov-e Wave Glow is cheap, easy to get hold of, and does the job. Just about.
You’re on a tight budget
If money is very tight and you need a speaker, the Groov-e Wave Glow is an impulse buy kind of price.
You’re an audiophile
It’s been a while since I’ve heard something as underwhelming as the Groov-e Wave Glow which is a tragic shame, but true.
You want something to last all day
The Groov-e Wave Glow only has 8 hours of battery life which means it won’t last a busy day hiking or out and about. There are other cheap options with better battery life.
You want waterproofing
The Groov-e Wave Glow doesn’t confirm its waterproofing and while its ports are neatly hidden away, we wouldn’t trust it immersed in water. Go for something with guaranteed IPX7 waterproofing if you plan on heading to the pool.
Groov-e Wave Glow
Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus
JBL Clip 5
Price
£23.99; limited availability in other markets
$39.99 / £32 / AU$65 (approx.)
$79.95 / £59.99 / AU$89.95
Weight
645g
545g
285g
Dimensions
13.7 x 8 x 7.5 cm
90.9 x 90.9 x 118.9 mm
86 x 134.5 x 46 mm
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.3, aux-in, USB-C (charging)
Bluetooth 5.4 (SBC, AAC codecs), AUX-in, USB-C (charging)
Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C (charging)
Battery life
8 hours (quoted)
12 hours (quoted)
Up to 12 hours
Speaker drivers
10W (dimensions not stated)
48mm
Integrated class D digital amplifiers x 1
Waterproofing
n/a
IPX7
IP67
JBL Clip 5
If you can stretch that budget, buy the JBL Clip 5. It’s perfect for outdoor use while also sounding great for the price. There’s plenty of detail and bass here with an adjustable EQ and an ideal strap for carrying.
Read our full JBL Clip 5 review View Deal
Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus
A little more expensive but guaranteeing good waterproofing, the Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus could still sound better but it’s otherwise a robust option at a very affordable price.
Read our full Tribit Stormbox Mini Plus review
I used the Groov-e Wave Glow across 14 days in a wide range of ways. I connected it to my PC initially and listened to Spotify, Apple Music and Twitch using that as a source device, then moved to my iPhone 14 Pro.
That meant a solid mixture of spoken audio and also music. My music taste is fairly varied so it went from Robbie Williams to Muse to Chet Baker to various pieces of classical music. I also checked how good battery life appeared to be and monitored how long it took to recharge.
I have 15 years of experience testing audio equipment, specialising in portable, affordable products just like the Groov-e Wave Glow.
Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 has officially finished, and I was pretty disappointed by this year's show. There were loads of announcements, sure, but many of them felt like pure filler. Did we seriously need not just one, but two whole World of Tanks trailers?
As a long-time Call of Duty fan, I was really looking forward to the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 gameplay reveal, which was confirmed ahead of the show, but even that left a sour taste in my mouth.
The trailer showed off some levels from the campaign and gave us our first look at its four-player co-op in action. The visuals are definitely there with some really stunning sights like the neon-lit rooftops of Tokyo, but the frequent glimpses of large open environments left me feeling uneasy.
I can't help but think that they look more like the maps from the open-world 'Open Combat Missions' of 2023's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 than the linear environments that the series is known for.
Modern Warfare 3 had easily the weakest campaign in Call of Duty history, transparently comprised of sloppily repurposed Warzone battle royale content, and I worry that the same thing is true of Black Ops 7's offering.
We already know that part of the story takes place in Avalon - a map that rumors indicate was initially intended for Warzone - but things only got worse when a subsequent developer video confirmed that the campaign's final mission will be some kind of weird multiplayer "social experience".
Officially called the Endgame, it's a repeatable PvE (player versus enemy) experience that drops you into Avalon with your squad to explore and survive against a wide range of enemies, which sounds suspiciously like a Warzone match to me.
Like Modern Warfare 3, Black Ops 7 is being released as a direct sequel to its immediate predecessor - Black Ops 6. Hailing from the same two studios, Treyarch and Raven. I hope that not many corners have been cut in order to make that shorter than the usual production time.
More of the game is being shown at an upcoming Call of Duty Next on September 30, 2025, so I'm hoping that multiplayer and zombies – the other two parts of the offering – will look a lot more promising.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is set to launch on November 14, 2025.
You might also likeSamuel Kangethe has lived in the U.S. for nearly two decades, but an unresolved immigration case has made him deportable. He's decided to return to Kenya, leaving his wife and three children behind.
(Image credit: Sergio Martínez-Beltrán)
Sucker Punch has announced that Ghost of Yōtei will receive a free Legends multiplayer mode in 2026.
Revealed during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 alongside a new story trailer ahead of the game's October launch, Legends is a cooperative multiplayer mode that was first added to the previous game, Ghost of Tsushima.
Ghost of Yōtei Legends will offer two-player story missions and four-player survival matches and will be available at no extra cost to those who already own the base game.
In this version, players will have access to four character classes and will need to defeat demonic, giant versions of members of the Yōtei Six, along with a variety of new enemies that fight beside them.
Concept art for each boss has been revealed in a new PlayStation Blog post, which you can view here.
Ghost of Yōtei launches on October 2, 2025, exclusively for PS5 and PS5 Pro, and takes place more than 300 years after the first Ghost game.
In this indirect sequel, players explore the lands surrounding Mount Yōtei as protagonist Atsu, who will hunt down the people responsible for her family's death.
Ghost of Yōtei pre-orders are now live, along with Ghost of Yōtei PS5 bundle pre-orders. If you're looking to get your hands on the exclusive PS5 controller, here's where you can buy the Ghost of Yōtei DualSense.
You might also like...An anime based on FromSoftware's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has been announced, and we have our first official teaser trailer.
Revealed during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025, Sekiro: No Defeat is coming to Crunchyroll in 2026 worldwide, excluding Japan, China, Korea, Russia, and Belarus, and will be produced by Kadokawa, Qzil.la, and ARCH.
The anime will be a fully hand-drawn adaptation that will retell the game's story down to every memorable boss battle.
"We are taking on the monumental task of animating the breathtakingly beautiful Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. In doing so, we are pouring every ounce of our artistic vision and passion for beauty into its production," said Kenichi Kutsuna, director of the adaptation.
"The final product is being crafted to be a truly memorable experience, one that will leave a lasting impression on both dedicated fans of the game and those who are discovering the world of Sekiro for the very first time. Please look forward to it."
The anime will also be helmed by a team of acclaimed anime creators, including director Kenichi Kutsuna, screenwriter Takuya Satou, character designer Takahiro Kishida, action animation director Takashi Mukoda, and more.
We also have the first few names of the voice cast. Sekiro's main character, Wolf, will be played by Daisuke Namikawa, Kuro (The Divine Heir) will be voiced by Miyuki Satou, while Genichiro Ashina will be played by Kenjiro Tsuda.
"Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a game known for its precision and intensity, and those qualities carry through beautifully in this adaptation," said Asa Suehira, chief content officer at Crunchyroll. "We’re excited to bring Sekiro: No Defeat to fans around the world, and honored to work alongside Kadokawa, Qzil.la, and ARCH to expand this iconic story through the medium of anime."
Machine Games has given us a new look at Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's forthcoming expansion, The Order of the Giants, along with confirmed of a Nintendo Switch 2 version.
Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 is finally here and as one of the major announcements of the showcase, a gameplay trailer for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle's first downloadable content (DLC) was revealed.
The Order of Giants was first announced during the Xbox Games Showcase earlier this month and arrives on September 4.
The story expansion will be accessible to those who own the Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Premium Edition, Collector’s Edition, or Collector’s Bundle, or it can be purchased separately.
The DLC takes place during the events of the main game and follows Indiana Jones as he returns to the city of Rome to uncover a dark secret that lies beneath the city.
"There is a myth of a beast in the hidden depths of Rome, rumored to guard a terrible secret... When Indiana Jones encounters Father Ricci, a young priest desperate for help to track down a Roman artifact, a standard treasure hunt soon turns into a perilous journey," its description reads.
"Along the way, Indy must face the sinister plots of Emperor Nero and his gladiator games, the enigmatic Cult of Mithras, and whatever else lurks in the shadows. Can Father Ricci's cryptic knowledge guide Indy through these treacherous passageways? Only Indiana Jones can piece together this breathtaking mystery."
New and intricate puzzles while traversing Rome’s ancient sewer system, the Cloaca Maxima, and beyond will also be featured, along with new enemies and the return of familiar faces.
However, the most exciting part of the trailer for me was the announcement that the game will also be coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026, making it the first Xbox-owned title to be confirmed for Nintendo's latest console.
In TechRadar Gaming's four-star review, hardware writer Dashiell Wood called Indiana Jones and the Great Circle "a thrilling adventure ripped straight from the silver screen" that features "flawless voice performances and incredible motion capture work".
You might also like...President Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and seven European leaders met at the White House to talk about ending the war between Russia and Ukraine. The meeting followed a summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week. We dive into the proposals to end the war and how each side might react to them. We hear from NPR’s correspondent in Moscow and Ukraine’s former foreign minister.
(Image credit: Alex Brandon)
The politics of air conditioning in France, as the country basks in yet another heatwave.
Maxsun has revealed the Arc Pro B60 Dual 48G Turbo, a $1,200 graphics card which places two Intel GPUs on a single board.
This product takes an unusual route in today’s market, where most manufacturers have abandoned dual-GPU designs in favor of single, more powerful chips.
Maxsun instead combines two Arc Pro B60 processors into one card, supported by 48GB of GDDR6 memory.
Designed for specialized workloadsEach GPU connects to a 192-bit memory interface with 456GB/s of bandwidth, and together the card brings 5,120 FP32 cores to the table.
The hardware is based on Intel’s Xe-2 “Battlemage” design, specifically the BMG-21 variant, marking one of the few workstation-grade attempts to use this architecture in a dual configuration.
Unlike consumer products designed for high frame rates in games, this dual Intel GPU card is presented as a tool for compute-heavy fields.
Maxsun describes this device with the phrase “Cut the Cloud. Keep the Power,” suggesting a push toward local processing of sensitive data.
The move from a single Arc Pro B60’s 120W rating to a combined load between 250W and 400W shows that this is a power-hungry device.
Feeding two GPUs requires strong power delivery and cooling, which in turn complicates deployment in compact workstation cases.
The reliance on PCIe 5.0 x16 ensures that data transfer to both GPUs is handled with sufficient bandwidth, but it does not change the reality that higher power consumption may limit adoption.
A workstation PC with this card could theoretically run large models such as DeepSeek R 70B or QwQ 32B entirely in-house.
Whether the performance matches that of dedicated server hardware remains to be seen.
Although the card is not marketed as a video editing PC component, its 48GB of VRAM could appeal to users working with extremely large projects.
The dual-GPU arrangement also frees up motherboard slots, which might benefit systems where expansion space is limited.
The practicality of such a configuration is still uncertain, especially given the varied history of software optimization for multi-GPU systems.
With retail availability expected soon, the Arc Pro B60 Dual 48G Turbo is unlikely to reach mainstream buyers.
Instead, it seems aimed at AI researchers, engineers, and developers who value large memory pools and local compute capacity over raw gaming output.
Via Guru3D
You might also likeAsus has launched the ExpertBook P3 series, available in 14-inch and 16-inch sizes, aimed at professionals looking for a stable business laptop.
The company is offering five years of BIOS and driver updates alongside a one-year subscription to McAfee+ Premium, an unusually long software support promise in this segment.
This warranty may sound appealing, especially to IT managers, but questions remain about how consistently such updates will be delivered over the lifespan of the devices.
Hardware designed for productivity and AIBoth models are powered by AMD Ryzen AI processors, including the PRO variants, with up to 16 cores and support for AI workloads at 50 TOPS.
Asus says this means tasks such as real-time captions, automated notes, and AI noise cancellation run locally rather than relying on the cloud.
The new devices can be configured with up to 32GB of DDR5 memory and as much as 2TB of primary storage, with a secondary slot allowing for further expansion.
The smaller 14-inch version offers a WUXGA or WQXGA panel with up to 400 nits brightness and a 144Hz refresh rate, while the 16-inch version mirrors those options at a slightly higher screen-to-body ratio.
Both models include anti-glare coatings, which could be useful for outdoor meetings or bright offices.
The chassis is all-metal, the keyboards are spill-resistant, and optional backlighting is available.
For connectivity, it features dual USB-C ports, dual USB-A ports, HDMI 2.1, LAN, and a headphone jack, along with Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 7 configurations paired with Bluetooth 5.4.
70Wh battery is standard, and Asus claims it should handle a full day of work, which would appeal to buyers seeking a laptop with long battery life.
The ExpertBook P3 is MIL-STD-810H certified, which suggests some resilience against drops and shocks.
Security features include TPM 2.0, a fingerprint sensor, webcam shutter, and a Kensington lock slot.
These devices are not the lightest laptops on the market, as the 14-inch model weighs 1.355kg while the 16-inch model weighs 1.79kg.
The ExpertBook P3 specifications look good on paper, but its success will be determined by its ability to deliver consistent reliability in everyday office use.
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