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ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025): Two-minute review

The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) is a gaming laptop that promises top-tier performance at an affordable price. It doesn’t exactly convey its power visually, looking rather muted compared to others in this class. However, it does exude a fair amount of elegance, which belies its budget price tag.

It’s surprisingly thin and free from bulk, although it’s still quite heavy. The lid hinges are pleasingly small, and the bezel around the screen is very minimal – in fact you’ll struggle to find a more slender frame on even the best gaming laptop models.

Build quality is also respectable, although the keyboard doesn’t look the most premium. Thankfully, the keys themselves feel great, offering sufficient dampening, travel, and feedback, which makes them a joy to use when gaming.

And, on that front, the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) acquits itself very well. The RTX 5050 in my unit performed remarkably well, achieving very high frame rates with demanding graphics settings selected, although Cyberpunk 2077 labored considerably on the highest preset, with disruptive stutters, lag, and visual glitches. But dropping the settings down slightly improved the experience greatly, while maintaining plenty of visual fidelity.

(Image credit: Future)

More bothersome, however, was the noise the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) generated, which is distractingly loud and pretty much rules out playing without headphones. At least the unit stays relatively cool for the most part, with any heat steering clear from any touchable surface.

The large 16-inch, 1920 x 1200 display of the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) is certainly good enough to represent AAA games faithfully, but it’s not the best in class, guilty of looking a little washed out at times. It also lacks the high brightness levels of its rivals, and is a little too reflective.

As mentioned, the keys feel great to use when gaming, but the cramped layout – owing to the inclusion of a number pad – can make typing awkward, at least for someone as ham-fisted as me.

This isn’t too big a gripe, though, and if you’re willing to put up with the incessant noise and can settle for gaming at close-to maximum settings, the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) is a respectable performer that won’t break the bank – at least not to the extent other gaming laptops will.

ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) review: Price & Availability

• $1,449.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,499
• Available now
• Well-priced for the spec

The ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) starts from $1,449.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,499 and is available now. In the US, we couldn't find a model equipped with an RTX 5050; the base model here appears to start with a 5060 instead.

This is a decent price for a 16-inch laptop with an RTX 5000 series GPU. There are few compromises, too, with the 1920 x 1200 resolution being the main concession. But the overall design and build quality of the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) aren’t what you’d call cheap.

However, the Acer Nitro 16 AMD is cheaper by a significant amount. This has a less impressive spec, though: the base Nitro 16 AMD gets an RTX 4050 GPU, an AMD Ryzen 5 CPU, and only 512GB of storage. It’s also quite bulky and doesn’t exactly look premium. We were very pleased with its 1080p performance, though, and we also liked its keyboard.

• Value: 4 / 5

ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) review: Specs

ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) Base Config

ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) Maximum Config

Price

$1,449.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,499

$1,699.99 / £1,699.99

CPU

AMD Ryzen 7 260 Processor 3.8GHz (24MB Cache, up to 5.1 GHz, 8 cores, 16 Threads)

AMD Ryzen 9 270 Processor 4.0GHz (24MB Cache, up to 5.2GHz, 8 cores, 16 Threads)

GPU

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050, 8GB

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, 8GB

RAM

8GB DDR5

32GB DDR5

Storage

1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD

1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD

Display

16-inch, FHD+ 16:10 (1920 x 1200, WUXGA), 165Hz, IPS, Anti-glare display, G-Sync

16-inch, FHD+ 16:10 (1920 x 1200, WUXGA), 165Hz, IPS, Anti-glare display, G-Sync

Ports and Connectivity

1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack, 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x USB-A (1x USB 2.0 and 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2), 2x USB-C (1x USB 3.2 Gen2 and 1x USB 4), 1x RJ45, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3

1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack, 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x USB-A (1x USB 2.0 and 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2), 2x USB-C (1x USB 3.2 Gen2 and 1x USB 4), 1x RJ45, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3

Battery

90WHrs

90WHrs

Dimensions

13.94 x 10.59 x 0.70 inches (354 x 269 x 17.9mm)

13.94 x 10.59 x 0.70 inches (354 x 269 x 17.9mm)

Weight

4.85lbs (2.20kg)

4.85lbs (2.20kg)

ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) review: Design

(Image credit: Future)

• Surprisingly thin
• Very thin screen bezel
• Good-feeling keyboard

To my personal delight, ASUS hasn’t done much to gamify the appearance of the TUF Gaming A16 (2025). It has a minimal aesthetic and the whole unit looks surprisingly elegant for a gaming machine.

It isn’t saddled with the typical gaming laptop bulk, either. The chassis is pleasingly thin and the rear protrusion is comparatively small. While it's still quite weighty, again it’s not as heavy as some of its rivals.

The lid hinges look rather smart, and are easy to operate yet provide plenty of stability, while the bezel around the display is very small, allowing almost all of the allotted space to be used.

There are a few missteps in the design, though: the corners of the base are a little too sharp, and the keyboard looks a little cheap. A number pad is also included, which unfortunately makes the whole layout a little more cramped than it otherwise would be. Still, I did appreciate the translucent WASD keys, which distinguishes them from the others.

Underneath the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) are four rubber feet and plastic strips that raise the unit from the surface by a fair amount, which helps to improve airflow.

You’ll find the usual selection of ports on the TUF Gaming A16 (2025), with most of them located on the left side. They’re sensibly ordered, too; I particularly appreciated the headset jack being at the front and the power port at the back.

Along with an ethernet port and an HDMI port, you’ll also find two USB-C ports on the left – one is 3.2 Gen 2 and the other 4, but both support external display connections. On the right are two USB-A ports, which are again logically located, since it makes them amenable to connecting peripherals such as mice.

• Design: 4 / 5

ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) review: Performance

(Image credit: Future)

• Impressive AAA performance
• Quite loud
• Display not the most vibrant

I was impressed by the overall performance of the TUF Gaming A16 (2025). When I played Cyberpunk 2077 on the Ray Tracing: Low preset – which the game selected by default – I was getting roughly between 175-200fps, depending on the in-game environment.

Turning the preset to Ray Tracing: Ultra naturally resulted in a decrease, but I was still in the respectable region of 115-150fps. Ray Tracing: Overdrive caused a further dip, down to 70-100fps, but with the added bane of significant stuttering and input lag, as well as some strange visual artefacts and pop-in effects. Suffice to say this isn’t a setting I can recommend playing on.

Nonetheless, the above demonstrates a laudable effort on the part of the TUF Gaming A16 (2025). However, the price is paid in noise – a loud one. Under load it’s a veritable cacophony, as the fans whir away with considerable force. Needless to say this can be quite disruptive, requiring one of the best PC gaming headsets with strong noise cancellation to drown it out.

At least the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) stays relatively cool. Any heat generated is confined to reasonable temperatures, and concentrated mainly at the very back of the unit – although this can spread to the underside, so if you are using the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) on your lap, your legs might get a little toasty. Mercifully, though, the heat doesn’t encroach on the keyboard or the sides of the chassis, so there’s no chance of scorching your fingers.

The 1920 x 1200 display on my unit provided sufficient sharpness, even at 16 inches, and proved to be very bit as smooth and responsive as you’d expect from its 165Hz refresh rate. Colors appear vibrant enough, but they can look a little washed out at times. What’s more, the maximum brightness level isn’t that high, and reflections can rear their ugly heads under certain lighting conditions.

(Image credit: Future)

The keys are tactile and well damped, and have more travel and resistance than those on your typical laptop, which makes them easy and satisfying to use when gaming. I also appreciated the prominent nub on the W key, making it easy to locate.

While the keys also feel good to type on, the aforementioned cramped layout can hamper the A16's productivity credentials. I never fully got used to it, and what’s more the large trackpad does encroach on your hand placement, so you need to take care in not pressing down too hard.

The trackpad is smooth and makes for effortless swipes and gestures, but it can be inconsistent in registering taps, sometimes requiring a harder hit than normal. This might be a moot point for many gamers, though, since they’ll likely be pairing the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) with one of the best gaming mice.

Typical of many Asus products, there are a few annoying pop-ups from Armory Crate, as well as some bizarre notifications from Nvidia about display mode changes, which usually appear when booting up a game; for some unknown reason the system frequently thought two displays were connected.

Thankfully, this didn’t seem to affect performance in any way, and Windows at least makes it easy to change projection settings with the Win+P shortcut. Aside from these niggles, the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) provides a pretty seamless experience overall, as you might expect given the power on tap.

• Performance: 4 / 5

ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) review: Battery Life

(Image credit: Future)

The battery life of the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) is pretty impressive. It managed to last two hours and ten minutes in the PCMark gaming battery test, which is close to the time achieved by the Acer Nitro 16 AMD.

In our movie playback test, where we ran a short film on a continuous loop, it lasted an impressive 12 hours and 18 minutes. What’s more, the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) is also quick to charge, taking just under two hours to fully replenish.

• Battery Life: 4 / 5

Should I buy the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025)?ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The TUF Gaming A16 (2025) is priced very competitively considering the spec. The relatively low resolution is about the only sacrifice.

4 / 5

Design

It’s surprisingly thin and elegant for a gaming laptop, and it also appears built to a high standard

4 / 5

Performance

The TUF Gaming A16 (2025) delivers high frame rates in AAA titles with demanding settings, although it won’t handle max presets all that well, and the noise is bothersome.

4 / 5

Battery Life

It performed well in our series of battery benchmarks, and it's fast to charge, too.

4 / 5

Total

The TUF Gaming A16 (2025) seems to have achieved its aim of delivering high performance at a relatively low price point, which makes it a tempting proposition for those on a budget – if they can put up with the noise.

4 / 5

Buy the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) if...

You want a sleek design
For a large powerhouse, the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) does remarkably well to keep the bulk to a minimum, and the build quality seems reasonably solid, too.

You’re on a budget
The TUF Gaming A16 (2025) is very well priced, especially considering its powerful spec. The 1920 x 1200 resolution is about the only major cutback.

Don't buy it if...

You want the best display
While it’s perfectly good enough for gaming, the colors can look a little washed out, and it’s prone to irksome reflections, too.

You want peace and quiet
The sound of the fans when gaming, even at moderate settings, is persistent and distracting, so a good pair of headphones are a must.

ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025) review: Also Consider

Acer Nitro 16 AMD
Our current pick as the best affordable gaming laptop, the Nitro 16 AMD does most of the important things right. The 1080p performance impressed us, while the 165Hz refresh rate is very welcome at this price point, especially since it’s cheaper than the TUF Gaming A16 (2025). Read our full Acer Nitro 16 AMD review.

MSI Katana 15 (2023)
If you’re willing to go with a model a few years old, the MSI Katana 15 (2023) is another capable gaming laptop at a relatively low cost. This again has solid 1080p performance and a fast refresh rate, although it’s let down somewhat by the middling battery life and poor trackpad. Thankfully, these areas are where compromises are some of the least egregious. Read our full MSI Katana 15 (2023) review.

How I tested the ASUS TUF Gaming A16 (2025)

• Tested for a few days
• Used for gaming and everyday tasks
• Plentiful PC gaming hardware experience

I tested the TUF Gaming A16 (2025) for a couple of days, during which time I used it for gaming and everyday tasks such as typing and browsing.

I played various games, including Cyberpunk 2077, which is a demanding test for systems and remains a cutting-edge AAA experience. I also ran our series of benchmark tests, designed to assess the gaming, creative, and productivity credentials of PCs, as well as storage speeds and battery life.

I’ve been PC gaming for over a decade, and during that time I’ve experienced plenty of systems and hardware. I’ve also reviewed a number of laptops, from gaming machines to those designed for productivity and general use.

• First reviewed: August 2025
• Read more about how we test

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Aug. 29.

The Pitt season 2: key information

- Will arrive in January 2026
- Teaser trailer released in August 2025
- Production began in June 2025
- Main cast set to return
- New recurring characters revealed
- Season 2 will time jump to 10 months ahead
- Hopes for future seasons

The Pitt season 2 is coming in January 2026, only a year after the popular HBO Max show premiered on the streamer. The medical drama saw ER's Noah Wyle as the dynamic Dr. Michael 'Robby' Robinavitch taking charge of an incredibly stressful day at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital.

And traumatic it most certainly was, culminating in a rather dramatic finale that fortunately, viewers won't have to wait too long to find some resolve. But, in true hospital fashion, as one intense shift ends, another begins (though with a time jump, which I'll get into more below) as the medical staff begin another day with even more drama. Here's everything we know so far from release date, confirmed cast, plot synopsis, and more.

Full spoilers for The Pitt season 1 to follow.

The Pitt season 2: is there a release date?

We're so back.Season 2 of #ThePitt has begun filming. Stream Season 1 now on Max. pic.twitter.com/EfBYnrBzLuJune 16, 2025

The Pitt season 2 release date has been confirmed – and it's January 2026. Revealed by Max CEO Casey Bloys in conversation with Vulture back in March, he said: "The second season will premiere in January of 2026, a year later. This model of more episodes cuts down on the gap between seasons."

With season 1, we were treated to an epic 15 episodes worth of emergency room drama. And it appears season 2 will follow suit, Bloys added: "What I love about something like The Pitt is, I can get 15 episodes in a year. That's a really great addition to what we're already doing on the platform. And I'd like to do more shows in this model."

After a February 2025 renewal, the show headed into production on season 2 in June amid official news from HBO Max that the series had stayed among the top three of the streamer's most-watched titles globally.

The Pitt season 2 trailer

The Pitt season 2 got its first official teaser trailer in August and it reveals more high-octane medical drama unravelling in the emergency room as doctors struggle with an overwhelming rush of patients in dire need of help.

But, it did make us say, hang on, hasn't The Pitt season 2's first trailer spoiled a major season 1 cliffhanger? In the first five seconds, Dana can be seen back at work, standing behind the desk. Surprising news considering the season 1 finale saw her seriously questioning whether she could keep doing the job. She's back and I'm not mad about it, quite the opposite.

The Pitt season 2 teaser trailer is also great confirmation for other cast members, alongside Dana, returning for the next installment.

The Pitt season 2 confirmed cast

The main cast will return for The Pitt season 2 (Image credit: HBO Max)

Spoilers follow for The Pitt season 1.

Thanks to the teaser trailer, here's The Pitt season 2 confirmed cast we know so far:

• Noah Wyle as Dr. Michael 'Robby' Robinavitch
• Katherine LaNasa as Dana Evans
• Fiona Dourif as Dr. Cassie McKay
• Patrick Ball as Dr. Frank Langdon
• Supriya Ganesh as Dr. Samira Mohan
• Taylor Dearden as Dr. Melissa King
• Isa Briones as Dr. Trinity Santos
• Shabana Azeez as Dr. Victoria Javadi
• Gerran Howell as Dr. Dennis Whitaker
• Shawn Hatosy as Dr. Jack Abbot

Dr. Heather Collins won't be returning for season 2 (Image credit: HBO Max)

There's one character that won't be returning for The Pitt season 2 and that's Tracey Ifeachor as Dr. Heather Collins, as confirmed by Deadline. While it's not clear the reasons behind her exit, Ifeachor posted on her official Instagram to say: "It was an absolute privilege to play Dr. Heather Collins in such a groundbreaking season and piece."

We also know about some new characters joining The Pitt season 2. Lawrence Robinson will play Brian Hancock, "a sweet, charming and kind-hearted patient who turns a soccer injury into a possible meet-cute with one of the doctors" (as per Deadline).

Sepideh Moafi also joins as a series regular playing an attending physician, as well as Charles Baker, Irene Choi, Laëtitia Hollard and Lucas Iverson in recurring roles, as exclusively revealed by Deadline.

Finally, in another reveal by Deadline, Zack Morris is also joining as Jackson Davis, "a patient brought to the ED after an uncontrollable outburst in the college library."

The Pitt season 2 story speculation

The Pitt season 2 picks up on Langdon's first day back (Image credit: HBO Max)

Full spoilers follow for The Pitt season 1.

For The Pitt season 2, the cast will pick up in the emergency room 10 months after the intense shift that unravelled in season 1.

This time jump was revealed during Deadline's Contenders TV panel in April and it was further explained by the creative team that season 2 will take place over the Fourth of July weekend for another 15 hours and 15 episodes of medical emergencies.

And when it comes to the reason for this time jump, the show's creator R. Scott Gemmill revealed to TVLine that it has a lot to do with Dr. Langdon's recovery.

The season 1 finale saw Dr. Robby tell Langdon that if he wants to return to Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, then he has to check himself into a 30-day inpatient rehab. Of course, that's not 10 months. But, recovery isn't linear.

Gemmill said: "Thirty days is probably the minimum he would have to do. You can do 60, 90... and part of [the time jump] is driven by when he can shoot in Pittsburgh."

He added: "Nine, basically 10 months later, gives a lot of room for us to have developed a few stories in the interim and catch up with everyone. And with it being Langdon's first day back, we get to catch up as he catches up with all those people."

And like season 1, the next season will follow the same 15-hour schedule running from 7am to 10pm and all the intense medical situations that can bring in, especially over the Fourth of July weekend.

While the season 1 finale saw Dana's return unclear, she's back (Image credit: HBO Max)

The recovery wasn't just for Langdon though with Dr. Robby having to address his own mental health issues and speaking to TVLine in April, Gemmill said: "Getting himself mentally healthy against is part of his journey."

With such stressful jobs, the pressure was unsurprisingly getting to the doctors and none more so than Dana Evans who we last saw packing up her things in the season 1 finale and telling Dr. Robby she was thinking about leaving the ER for good.

Fortunately, we know she didn't commit to this, appearing in the first official teaser trailer very much still part of the team (despite a stern look pointed towards Dr. Robby).

And with new characters joining for season 2, there's plenty of new faces – both doctors and patients – that I'm sure will bring their own personal dramas (and medical cases) to The Pitt.

What they won't be doing in the 15 hours that will unfold on our screens though, is ever leave the ER. Gemmill explained: "The reality is that we don't really leave our set. We don't leave the ER. We did a few things at the very end where we saw people going home and stuff.

"But beyond that, I don't expect us to go anywhere beyond the hospital and the ambulance bay until the last episodes of next season, and maybe we'll see a couple other parts of the hospital."

The real-life medical landscape is reflected in season 2 (Image credit: HBO Max)

And although they're not stepping outside of the hospital, it doesn't mean they can't address real-time and real-life concerns that affect medical care in the US.

Speaking to Variety, executive producer John Wells explained that this includes President Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill', outlining a 12% cut to Medicaid spending: "The Medicaid changes are going to have a significant impact, and you don't have to take a political position to discuss what the impact is actually going to be."

Gemmill added: "We take out platform very seriously. I think one of the things when you can reach 10 million people – and this was true back in the day on 'ER' as well – is with that amount of people listening, you have to be responsible for what you put out there."

Will The Pitt return after season 3?

Could The Pitt become an annual drop for HBO Max? (Image credit: Max)

With The Pitt season 2 landing on HBO Max in January, there's no news yet of a season 3... and beyond. It doesn't necessarily mean we'll have to wait until January for news of more though, given season 2 was treated to an early renewal.

But, for now, I don't have much to report other than Gemmill joking with Deadline that: "If there’s a season 12, we’ll do a musical. Right now, we kind of want to stick to what was working for us, but we’re still learning. It’s a process."

While season 12 sounds crazy to talk about now (and a musical even crazier), ER did run for 15 seasons. So, maybe it's not all that wild of an idea after all.

For more Max-focused coverage, read our guides on the best Max shows, best Max movies, The Last of Us season 2, and Peacemaker season 2.

You'll receive a free replacement capacitor, and you don't need proof of purchase.

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Aug. 29, No. 340.

Peacock Premium Plus is available to Prime Video customers for $17 per month.

Two children were killed, and 18 children between the ages 6 and 15 were injured by a shooter. Middle schoolers acted heroically to protect others, a parent said.

(Image credit: Stephen Maturen)

• FugakuNEXT will combine Fujitsu CPUs and Nvidia GPUs in Japan’s next national supercomputer
• The system targets 600EFLOPS FP8 performance with a 100x application performance gain
• Riken, Fujitsu, and Nvidia see the project as defining a new AI-HPC standard

Japan is preparing its next national supercomputer, FugakuNEXT, through a collaboration between Fujitsu, Nvidia and Riken.

The system is planned for operation around 2030 and aims to blend simulation and artificial intelligence into one tightly integrated platform.

For the first time in a Japanese flagship project, GPUs will be used as accelerators. Nvidia will (unsurprisingly) design the GPU infrastructure, Fujitsu will handle CPUs and system integration, and Riken will be involved in the software and algorithm work.

Feynman GPU

The result is expected to be an “AI-HPC platform” designed for science, industry, and AI-driven discovery.

The performance targets for the supercomputer are certainly ambitious. FugakuNEXT is designed to deliver more than 600EFLOPS of FP8 AI performance, which would make it the most powerful AI supercomputer yet announced.

The system is also expected to achieve up to a hundredfold increase in application performance compared with Fugaku, while staying within roughly the same 40MW power budget.

Nvidia’s long-term roadmap points to the Feynman GPU architecture (named after theoretical physicist Richard Feynman) arriving near 2028, so it could well play a role in powering FugakuNEXT.

Fujitsu is developing a successor to its MONAKA CPU for the project, tentatively named MONAKA-X, with more cores, extended SIMD capabilities, and Arm’s matrix computation engine for AI inference.

Coupled with Nvidia’s accelerators, the system is expected to run large simulations alongside demanding AI workloads.

Hardware alone won’t deliver the target gains so the project will also lean on innovations such as surrogate models, mixed-precision arithmetic, and physics-informed neural networks to accelerate performance while also preserving accuracy.

Makoto Gonokami, president of Riken, said, “It is a great honor for Riken to collaborate with Fujitsu and Nvidia in advancing the development of FugakuNEXT. Since ancient times, humankind has built civilizations and advanced societies through the science of computing. Today, the emergence of AI, advanced semiconductors, and quantum computers is bringing about a discontinuous transformation in computational science.”

Ian Buck, vice president at Nvidia, added, “FugakuNEXT will deliver zettascale performance with application speeds nearly 100 times faster – within the same energy footprint as its predecessor – accelerating research, boosting industrial competitiveness, and driving progress for people in Japan and around the world.”

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Apple has confirmed that its next event is taking place on September 9, and all signs point to a big update for the Apple Watch line.

We believe, based on several months of leaks and rumors, that Apple will debut not one, not two, but three new Apple Watches. Currently, just three Apple Watches available to buy from the company: the Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and the Apple Watch SE (2022), with older models consigned to third-party sellers.

Rumors of a new trio of watches suggest the entire line is getting an upgrade. Here are the three new devices we believe will be announced at the Cupertino 'Awe dropping' event, and you can bet we'll be hard at work updating our guides to the best Apple Watches and best smartwatches.

Whether you've been paying attention to the leaks and rumors, or you're just catching up now, here's everything you need to know about the Apple Watches we reckon are coming on September 9.

1. Apple Watch Ultra 3

(Image credit: Future)

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 got a small upgrade last year in a new titanium black colorway, and it remains the gold standard when it comes to heart rate accuracy and versatility, recently being tested against a chest strap monitor.

Upgrades that we’re expecting from the Apple Watch Ultra 3 include satellite connectivity, as in the upcoming Google Pixel Watch 4. This feature would allow users to communicate from the watch without a phone in case of emergency, even if they're not using a data plan to connect to the internet.

If you do happen to be using a data plan with your Apple Watch, we’re expecting 5G connectivity for a serious boost to its navigation, communication and music streaming capabilities.

We’re also hoping for a new, more powerful chipset, and possibly high-blood-pressure detection. The Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2 are virtually identical in terms of their design, and we’re not expecting any radical changes to the chassis and protruding Action button.

2. Apple Watch Series 11

(Image credit: Future)

The Apple Watch Series 11 is the next mainline iteration of the Apple Watch.

Last year, the Series 10 got a big wraparound screen redesign, a slimmer body and a new chipset, so we’re not expecting any big design changes here, especially as there will likely be two other watches getting most of the attention. Another new chip is likely.

We know that, alongside the rest of the range, it’s going to be getting all the new software smarts from watchOS 26, including the AI-powered Workout Buddy feature and redesigned Workout app. It’s possible we’ll get a much-anticipated blood-pressure detection feature, but from a hardware perspective, the Series 11 is likely to be similar to the 10.

3. Apple Watch SE 3

(Image credit: Future)

Every couple of years, the Apple Watch combines elements from some of its older models with a cheaper-to-make chassis to give us a new entry into the SE series.

We labelled the SE 2 the best cheap Apple Watch you can buy, and the SE 3 is likely to provide the same great experience in a more affordable package. It’s unlikely the SE 3 will get the Series 10’s wraparound screen, instead probably getting an older Series 9 style display to make use of cheaper, now-defunct older parts.

Expect modern, AI-powered watchOS 26 software inside a model designed to cost around $250 / £250 / AU$500.

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Early-career workers in roles most exposed to AI, such as software development and customer support, have experienced big declines in employment.

A federal judge has ruled that Trump administration official Kari Lake can't unilaterally fire the director of Voice of America.

(Image credit: Jose Luis Magana/AP)

For the past week, I’ve been testing the new Oakley Meta smart glasses – and while I love running in them, my fiancée (and running partner) wishes I’d stop wearing them.

In case you’ve missed it, the ongoing collaboration between Meta, Essilor Luxotica has spawned seven new smart glasses – one limited-edition design and six regular – that incorporate useful technology into Oakley’s HSTN specs.

Just like you’ll find in Meta’s smart Ray-Bans, these Oakleys boast a 12MP camera for first-person shots, open ear speakers for music, and a Meta AI assistant that can answer your questions and perform helpful tasks (provided they’re connected to your phone and the internet).

That’s not saying they’re identical, however. Some hardware has been upgraded slightly – like the camera that records higher quality video and the battery life is said to be longer – but the design is the biggest change.

(Image credit: Oakley / Meta)

And this is why I love running in the HSTN smart glasses. The open ear speakers are handy for keeping me energized with music while I push myself, and I’ve found the HSTN frame is much better at hugging my face than the Wayfarers I have – meaning it doesn’t jostle or slip as much on my jogs.

They also boast Oakley’s 24K PRIZM lenses. These golden-tinted sunglasses aren’t just polarized to reduce harsh rays; they also offer improved contrast to your vision, which I’ve found in the 24K’s case makes it easier to spot terrain changes and grooves before I roll an ankle.

The Ruby PRIZM lenses are meant to be an even better running companion, though I will admit that a downside of these picks is that they’re only suitable for bright conditions. For general use, I stand by my belief that transition lenses are superior as they can morph between clear and shaded based on the sun’s intensity.

(Image credit: Oakley / Meta)

So why, with all these successes, does my partner despise them? Well, she doesn’t think they suit me. It’s not the design itself, but the color of the frames, which, for the pair I’m testing, are white. Given my very pale complexion, she jokes that it’s hard to tell where the glasses end and my head begins.

I’m not sure I agree. I think the Oakley HSTN look rad, but if you agree these smart glasses aren’t a good fashion fit for me, then I’m not annoyed – I think this is actually a good thing.

That’s because while they are a gadget, they’re also a clothing accessory. While you can find designs and colors that suit everyone, distinct and personal fashion choices require designs like these HSTNs that maybe don’t work for everyone, but really suit the people they do work for.

This is one of the big reasons I’m excited to see Android XR partnering with brands like Gentle Monster and other fashion-first brands – as I’m hopeful we’ll continue to see inventive designs get the ‘smart’ treatment.

(Image credit: Oakley / Meta)

Based on my experience, I can definitely recommend the Oakley smart glasses just as easily as I recommended the Meta Ray-Ban glasses before them.

My only advice would be to go and try them on first. Firstly, because the different PRIZM lenses will suit different sports from a practical perspective, but also to make sure you like how you look in them.

It’s not something we’re used to thinking about with tech, but wearables aren’t just redefining tech, they’re redefining fashion in equal measure – and you don’t want this accessory to wind up like those other fashion faux pas you regret buying.

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• SK Hynix sets new milestone with 321-layer QLC NAND for PC SSDs
• Performance and efficiency improvements come before enterprise and AI server rollout
• Consumers unlikely to see cheap high-capacity SSDs until costs fall further

SK Hynix has confirmed it has started mass production of its new 321-layer QLC NAND flash memory, making it the first in the industry to cross the 300-layer threshold with QLC technology.

The company completed development of the chip earlier in 2025, and says it plans to launch commercial products in the first half of 2026, once customer validation is finished.

The chip features 2Tb capacity per die, double that of previous solutions.

Power efficiency improvements

To address the slower performance that often comes with higher-density QLC NAND, SK Hynix expanded the number of planes within the chip from four to six.

This change allows for greater parallel processing, which improves read and write speeds while keeping power use low.

The company says its data transfer speeds are twice as fast compared to its prior QLC offerings, with write speeds up to 56% faster and read performance improved by 18 percent.

Power efficiency during write operations is also up by more than 23%, something that will matter in large data environments where energy costs are closely monitored.

Although the long-term aim is to use the technology in enterprise SSDs for data centers and ultra-high-capacity storage aimed at AI servers, the company says PC SSDs will be the first products to ship with the 321-layer chips.

That means consumers may see benefits before enterprise customers, although the initial focus will not necessarily be on low-cost, high-capacity drives.

"With the start of mass production, we have significantly strengthened our high-capacity product portfolio and secured cost competitiveness," said Jeong Woopyo, Head of NAND Development.

"We will make a major leap forward as a full-stack AI memory provider, in line with the explosive growth in AI demand and high-performance requirements in the data center market."

SK Hynix also plans to use its stacking technology, which allows up to 32 dies in one package, in future ultra-capacity solutions. It expects this to be especially important in AI-driven storage markets where both density and efficiency are key selling points.

While the arrival of this NAND marks a big step toward larger, more affordable storage, it is unlikely that cheap 8TB consumer SSDs will arrive any time soon, due to high manufacturing costs, packaging complexity, and validation cycles.

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Beats is no stranger to teasing forthcoming hardware – think earbuds or speakers – on its social channels, and earlier today, the Apple-owned brand did just that. This team is teasing the Powerbeats Fit, which looks to be the next generation of the popular Beats Fit Pro earbuds, and simultaneously a rebranding.

Shown off in a fresh hue of orange on athletes Saquon Barkley, Justin Jefferson, and Jayden Daniels, these earbuds are promised to “Fit Every Move.” That’s likely a nod to the in-ear design of these, which use a wing tip to fit snugly and securely in the ear, unlike the Powerbeats Pro 2, which wrap around the ear.

Beats Fit Pro first launched way back in November of 2021 and has been on the market, with several new colors, including a partnership with Kim Kardashian. These earbuds still fill a nice spot within the Beats lineup, but compared to the Powerbeats Pro 2, there are certainly a few upgrades I hope we’ll be seeing soon, when the successor drops as the Powerbeats Fit.

The teaser concludes with a promised launch for Fall 2025, which could occur in mid-to-late September, October, or November of this year. With that in mind, here are three things we hope the Powerbeats Fit will offer.

The arrival of heart-rate tracking

(Image credit: Beats)

Considering the Powerbeats Pro 2 introduced the heart-rate tracking function, and AirPods Pro 3 are rumored to offer the capability as well, I hope we see these arrive in the smaller, lighter form factor of the Powerbeats Fit.

Yes, the actual tracking is a bit limited, and if you’re in the Apple ecosystem with an Apple Watch, that wearable will override the earbuds. Even so, the earbuds would offer tracking ability when both are in your ears for select workout apps, as well as on Android via the companion Beats app. It would bolster the feature set here a bit as we’d assume the Powerbeats Fit will feature active noise cancellation and a transparent mode like the Beats Fit Pro.

To power the arrival of the heart-rate tracking sensor, we’d expect to see a jump in the silicon powering these earbuds as well. Currently, the Beats Fit Pro features the Apple-made H1 Chip, but the Powerbeats Fit would hopefully step things into more modern territory with the likes of the H2 chip, the same one that powers the Powerbeats Pro 2.

A step up in durability

(Image credit: Beats)

The Beats Fit Pro currently offers IPX4 sweat and water resistance, which means they can survive light splashes. And that’s also the same degree of durability that the Powerbeats Pro 2 offer, but considering Beats is teasing these with professional athletes and many Beats earbuds or headphones owners like to use these during workouts, runs, or general training, an upgrade in this regard to at least IP55 or IPX7 would be great to see.

Considering the rating on the Powerbeats Pro 2, however, this one might be less likely – especially as it seems Beats is keeping the existing design here.

A longer runtime

A post shared by Beats by Dre (@beatsbydre)

A photo posted by on

Beats Fit Pro currently offers six hours of playback with noise cancellation turned on and seven hours with that mode off. You get a few recharges in the case, which Beats says offers 24 hours of battery life.

I’d like to see a step up here, at least closer to the excellent runtime of Powerbeats Pro 2 – those earbuds offer 10 hours of playback and 45 hours when you factor in recharge in the case. That’s a fantastic number, and while the Powerbeats Fit look to be a bit smaller than these, the newer chip and maybe some improvements in battery tech could help to make this a reality.

Similar to the transition from Powerbeats Pro to Powerbeats Pro 2, we’ll see if the design team at Beats was able to slim down the case size here. Fingers crossed that it sticks with a USB-C port.

The good news is that, considering Beats posted the teaser today, August 28, 2025, we only likely have a few weeks to go. Considering Beats rarely makes appearances during Apple events, it’s unlikely we’ll learn more about it at the September 9, 2025, event. However, Beats will likely share more in the weeks after that and officially introduce the Powerbeats Fit.

Let’s just hope the price stays competitive, as the Beats Fit Pro currently has an MSRP of $199 / £199 / AU$299.

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