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As a 10-year Apple Watch veteran, I've only really taken notice of Garmin in the last six months or so in my role as one of TechRadar's fitness and wearables experts.

Since the turn of the year, there has been an awful lot of negativity around Garmin for a variety of reasons: a global outage that saw devices rendered unusable for well over a day, users upset about older, premium models being left out in the software cold, and more recently the controversial Garmin Connect+ subscription service.

I've seen plenty of despair in Garmin forums like the r/Garmin subreddit, reading countless posts and comments about users who are considering ditching their Garmins or making the switch to Apple, Samsung, and co.

But as a tenured Apple Watch user, I'm here to lend a comforting hand to the Garmin faithful. Life may not be perfect right now, but there are still a myriad of reasons to be thankful for your Garmin and a ton of impressive features and benefits to using one.

It got me thinking about just how many advantages and upsides there are to using a Garmin, and so I thought I'd collate some of them here to bring Garmin users some much-needed joy.

Who knows, if you're in the market for a new smartwatch, maybe this is the push you need to grab one of the best Garmins instead of an Apple Watch Ultra 2. Of course, features and benefits swing both ways, but let me lay out some of the things Garmin does better than the Apple Watch right now.

1. Battery life

(Image credit: Future)

The best Apple Watch will get you at most 72 hours of battery life on a single charge in Low Power mode. When you come to Garmin, battery life specs are measured in days rather than hours. Of course, there are reasons for this, Apple Watches tend to have brighter screens and generally a bit more going on under the hood, but there's no denying that even formidable, powerful models like the Garmin Fenix 8 offer insane longevity. The latter is rated for up to 34 days of typical use, an astonishing figure.

Pound for pound, any equivalent Garmin is going to smash Apple Watch battery life by an order of magnitude, and that's before we even consider Garmin's secret weapon and point number 2...

2. Solar charging

(Image credit: Garmin)

Complementing battery life is solar charging, an option offered on plenty of Garmin models. In exchange for a less impressive display, you get solar charging for potentially limitless battery life in the right conditions. While that's rarely a reality, solar charging pushes the aforementioned 34-day battery life of the Fenix 8 to up to 58 days on solar.

Apple has never once hinted at solar charging on the Apple Watch during its 10 years of existence, and I'd love to see the company give it a try.

3. Running metrics

(Image credit: Garmin)

If you want the best running watch to help you hone your stride, up your pace, and break your marathon record, Garmin is really the only option.

Garmin has a dedicated range of running watches, spearheaded by the impressive Forerunner 965, but the entire lineup boasts a slew of industry-leading running metrics to which Apple can't hold a candle.

At their most advanced, Garmin running metrics and features include running dynamics, vertical oscillation and ratio, ground contact time and balance, stride length, cadence, running power, grade-adjusted pace, performance condition, lactate threshold, PacePro, and even a race time prediction.

Apple Watch does some of these, but there's no denying that Garmin leads the pack when it comes to running.

4. Training plans and Garmin Coach

(Image credit: Garmin)

While your Apple Watch can track a workout, Garmin has an extensive array of training tools. Notably, you can use Garmin Coach training plans to fuel your running or cycling regimen, and you can also use the Garmin Connect app to create step-by-step workouts you can follow right from your wrist.

You'll even get daily suggested workouts based on your previous performance (for running or cycling) and information about how long you should leave for recovery based on your effort.

Apple might have newer Training Load features from watchOS 11, but otherwise, the company has barely scratched the surface in this field.

5. Readiness and Body Battery

(Image credit: Future)

Garmin also features very impressive readiness scores and its own Body Battery technology, which you won't find on any Apple Watch. Now, there's some debate about the efficacy of this kind of tech, and some folks would probably tell you it's a pseudoscience.

However, Garmin takes metrics like your heart rate variability, activity data, and more to generate a score out of 100 to estimate your energy reserves and overall readiness to tackle the day's training.

For some people (myself included), that isn't always helpful – you can often become a slave to the numbers and end up feeling in worse condition than you might actually be – but for those who want it, Garmin's Body Battery and readiness scores are much better than anything Apple offers in the space.

6. Models and pricing

(Image credit: Garmin)

By all accounts, Garmin boasts the richest lineup of models of any smartwatch manufacturer, Apple included. While Cupertino has opted for a simple three-device lineup, Garmin has models within models on top of layers of configurations wrapped around pricing structures.

It's a lot to get your head around, especially if you're a beginner – what's the difference between the Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED, Solar, and Instinct E, for instance? – but the upshot is that there is a Garmin for everyone. From the cheapest Forerunner 55 to the Tactix 8 replete with ballistics tracking and night vision mode, there's a Garmin in every color and at every price point.

7. Platform agnosticism

Apple Watch is all fun and games until you decide you want an Android phone (Image credit: Future)

One of the best things about buying a Garmin is that it works with both iPhone and Android equally well. Of course, you miss out on some key notification features you'd get from an Apple Watch on iPhone, but generally, buying a Garmin frees you up to move more readily between iPhone and Android if you feel so inclined.

That can be tremendously freeing when it comes to choosing your next smartphone, especially because moving between the two doesn't mean losing all your workout data and training accolades.

8. A real flashlight

(Image credit: Garmin)

Bonus round - Apple Watch does have a flashlight feature, but it just involves turning up the screen to max white brightness. Plenty of Garmins, such as the Instinct 3, come with a full-fledged flashlight for exploration or just fumbling your way to the bathroom at 3 am.

Garmin users take heart

As I've said, this isn't an exhaustive list by any means, but hopefully, Garmin users can take some heart that there are still plenty of reasons to be satisfied with their purchases, and to stick with the brand.

Have I missed anything? If you can think of something else Garmin does better than Apple Watch, drop your thoughts in the comments below!

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• One of A Minecraft Movie's funniest scenes was left out of the final film
• Its director has explained why the sequence didn't get used
• Jared Hess has also revealed what his favorite Easter eggs are in Minecraft's movie adaptation

A Minecraft Movie director Jared Hess has opened up on the "really hilarious" scene he was disappointed to leave out of the film's final cut.

Ahead of the movie's April 4 release, I sat down with Hess to discuss his latest feature film. And, while A Minecraft Movie clocks isn't exactly on the long side for a family-friendly movie – it runs for one hour and 40 minutes, FYI – Hess admitted it would've been a few minutes longer if he'd successfully *ahem* mined it for more material.

There's one particular scene that Hess was most upset to leave out, too. Indeed, when I asked if there was anything that was considered off-limits by Minecraft creator Mojang Studios for the film adaptation, Hess said yes. His answer was an unexpected one, though, because it had nothing to do with Mojang telling him what he couldn't use in the Warner Bros-distributed flick.

Spoilers immediately follow for A Minecraft Movie.

The film's crew made sure that everything that appears on the screen could actually be made in Minecraft (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Mojang Studios)

"Yeah, there were a ton of fun sequences we wanted to do," Hess said. "[Popular Minecraft YouTuber] Mumbo Jumbo, who's a Redstone genius, was working on a great scene that we just couldn't do.

"We had a sequence that involved a giant Piglin robot, which was a Trojan horse-type thing that worked via Redstone," Hess continued. "I storyboarded it, we had full animatics of it, and it was a really hilarious scene. But, we just weren't able to do it.

"Everything we designed for the film, we wanted to make sure that you could actually go and make in the game," he added. "So, even Steve's Lava Chicken Shack and all of those things, we'd be like 'Gosh, are we sure we can do this? Does it work? Okay, let's go to the game and build it right now. Right, it checks out. It's bulletproof.'

"It would've been super fun to have that Mumbo Jumbo-designed sequence, but ultimately it didn't work out. He also designed a bunch of crazy booby traps for us as well, but we couldn't make those work in the confines of our movie, too."

'There are some really special Easter eggs in our movie'

There's a seemingly infinite number of Minecraft secrets and references hidden within A Minecraft Movie (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Mojang Studios)

Disappointed though Hess is about that sequence's absence, there are plenty of Minecraft Easter eggs and wider video game references that he was able to include in one of 2025's new movies.

From real in-game physics and genuine item and food crafting recipes, to a whole host of blink and you'll miss them objects, Hess and company made sure to populate the flick with as many gaming Easter eggs as possible. There are so many secrets, in fact, that Minecraft devotees and fanatical gamers will need to watch A Minecraft Movie numerous times to spot them all.

There are a couple of surprise additions above all others, though, that Hess was more proud than most to include.

Did you spot every Easter egg in your screening of A Minecraft Movie? (Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures)

"There are some really special ones," he told me. "We've got some really amazing Minecrafters that have mini cameos like Mumbo Jumbo, DanTDM, and Aphmau.

"There are a bunch of others that I'm missing, but there are some funny Easter eggs that I think die-ahrd Minecrafters and members of the community will notice. There's a really special Easter egg that Sebastian Hansen, who plays Henry, came up with. There's a nod to a really amazing Minecrafter in the film that you'll just have to check out, but I won't say who it is!"

I guess you'll all have to run out to watch the film to try and work out what that secret is, then! Before you do, be sure to read my review of A Minecraft Movie to see if it's worth watching. Then, read my A Minecraft Movie end credits piece to see if there are any and what they tell us about a potential sequel.

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• Sigma rumored to be working on a 200mm f/1.8 telephoto prime
• Full-frame lens could debut in L-mount and Sony E mount
• First of its kind for any mirrorless camera system

Back in 1988, Canon introduced the EF 200mm f/1.8L USM – the world’s fastest 200mm telephoto lens. Made for Canon’s EF-mount DSLR cameras, it was discontinued in 2004. Nothing since then has come close to its unique combination of reach and speed. That might be about to change: according to online rumors, Sigma is working on a spiritual successor for the mirrorless era.

L-rumors, a source for L-mount camera system news, recently ran a story claiming that Sigma is developing a world-first 200mm f/1.8 L-mount lens for Sony E and L-mount (Leica, Sigma and Panasonic) full-frame cameras. It points out that the optical design for such a lens was patented by Sigma back in 2020. Sony Alpha Rumors carried the same story.

Neither site provides any concrete information on performance, pricing or release date, speculating only that the lens will form part of Sigma’s Sports series. Whatever the specifics, the lens – if real – would be unique among modern mirrorless glass.

No other optic offers the same pairing of prime telephoto reach and a fast f/1.8 maximum aperture. It’s a recipe that promises sharp stills with beautiful background blur, giving it appeal for sports, portrait and landscape photographers alike.

Sigma's lens department regularly innovates – its 28-45mm lens (above) was the first F1.8 zoom lens for full-frame. (Image credit: Sigma) Who would a 200mm f/1.8 lens be good for?

A 200mm telephoto prime might sound like a niche lens, but it’s one that has a lot to offer for sports and wildlife photographers. It gives a useful degree of magnification, bringing distant subjects significantly closer, but not so close that you can’t readily pan to follow the action from the sidelines.

It’s also a flattering focal length for portrait photography, creating an attractive compression effect where the background appears larger. That same effect gives it appeal for landscape photographers who want to create compositions which contrast specific details of foreground and background.

Prime optics famously offer faster maximum apertures than zoom lenses. This allows photographers to shoot at faster shutter speeds in low-light conditions. It also comes with the promise of soft bokeh and background blur. Both of those benefits will be maximized at an aperture of f/1.8.

As above, rumors suggest that the Sigma 200mm f/1.8 will be part of Sigma’s Sports line. That makes a lot of sense: at that aperture, sports photographers would be able to work at faster shutter speeds to freeze action indoors or under floodlights. Similarly, both wildlife and landscape photographers would be able to make use of all available light, even when shooting in dim settings.

Portrait photographers would naturally benefit, too. The lens promises to isolate subjects sharply against wonderfully defocused backgrounds. The Sigma 200mm f/1.8 would deliver the shallowest depth of field possible at that focal length for a modern mirrorless camera. That makes it a pretty compelling, if inevitably pricey and physically weighty, proposition.

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Xreal One: One-Minute Review

I’ve tested my fair share of AR smart glasses in the past few years, and the Xreal One glasses might be the best smart glasses I’ve tried.

Xreal’s expertise shines through with these specs, which not only boast an impressive full-HD 120Hz OLED image with vivid colors, impressive contrast, and a 600-nit brightness, but also solid audio courtesy of Bose.

Headphones will still deliver better audio, but these smart glasses don’t feel incomplete without a pair of cans – something I can’t say of their rivals.

Though if you’re picking up the Xreal One you’ll probably also want to grab Xreal’s Beam Pro – a smartphone-like companion device that adds features like easy spatial photo capture without an iPhone 15 Pro, and two USB-C ports.

The Beam Pro starts at $199 / £189 for a model with 128GB of storage and 6GB of RAM, and while it’s not technically required it compliments the Xreal One so well that it feels like you’re missing out without it.

You can also connect the glasses to a suite of compatible USB-C devices instead like most smartphones, laptops, and game consoles (though for the latter you might need an add-on HDMI adapter). It’s perfect for watching your favorite show or playing a game on a giant virtual display, or for working privately on sensitive work documents in the office, or while you’re traveling, as only you can see your screen.

At $499 / £449 the Xreal One are approaching the pricier end of the scale, but with solid specs these glasses justify their cos, and are worth picking up if you want premium performance.

Xreal One: Price and availability

(Image credit: Xreal)

The Xreal One is available to buy in the UK and US from Xreal.com for $499 / £449.

This puts it at the mid-range price for AR glasses – it’s more expensive than older and more budget-friendly options like the Xreal Air 2 and RayNeo Air 3S, but less expensive than high-end standalone AR glasses like the Xreal Air 2 Ultra, and the upgraded (and soon to release) Xreal One Pro.

• Value: 3.5/5

Xreal One: Design

• Wired USB-C connection
• 82g, comfy for long stretches
• Electrochromic dimming shades

The Xreal One doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to Xreal’s AR glasses design. That is, at a glance it looks like a pair of sunglasses – albeit with a thick frame and large displays situated behind the lenses.

Just as on other wired AR specs the USB-C cable feeds into a port at the end of the left arm, and can be connected to a suite of USB-C devices that support DisplayPort – or to other devices with the right cables and accessories like an HDMI-to-USB-C cable.

Meanwhile the right arm features all of the buttons. On the bottom of the arm you’ll find a Red button which when pressed switches between Anchor mode and Follow mode (which anchors the screen in space or has it follow you as you move your head), and a brightness bar – you make the screen brighter, or change the electrochromic dimming intensity between three levels.

On top you’ll find a small black ‘Quick button’ for toggling between your display and dimming settings and transparency mode – which takes away your screen and resets the lenses to clear, so you can see what’s going on around you.

There are no volume controls on the specs, so you’ll need to rely on your device’s audio controls.

(Image credit: Future)

During my tests I only really used them on max brightness with the dimming turned up to full, as this created the best viewing conditions, though the transparency mode toggle came in handy a few times, and when using the Xreal Ones in a dark environment it was handy to turn the brightness down a tad so there wasn’t as much glare.

To find the best fit for you there are three arm angles so you can tilt the screen, and three nose pad options, so you can have the glasses sit correctly on your face. In my testing, after adjusting the specs I was able to comfortably wear the glasses, which weigh just 84g, for hours at a time with no trouble.

The Xreal One glasses also come with a cleaning cloth and a hard carry case so you can keep them clean and easily transport them and their cable.

• Design score: 5/5

Xreal One: Performance

• Impressive Bose audio
• Full-HD, 120Hz image at 600-nit brightness
• Pairs with a plethora of USB-C devices

Instead of beginning with the visual quality of the Xreal One (which is great by the way – more on that in a moment) I want to start this section by praising their audio. Normally, smart glasses audio is bordering on bad – the small open-air speakers produce a hollow sound that's passable for watching films, but a pair of headphones often feel like a necessity rather than an optional add-on. Thanks to Bose engineered sound that’s not the case with the Xreal One specs – the audio performance is one of their best features.

They’re not perfect for music, but compared to the Xreal Air 2 there's a stark improvement. This makes the immersive movie and TV show watching experience significantly better without requiring any headphones, meaning the specs feel like a more complete package out of the box. What’s more they seem to be less leaky than on previous models – audio can still be heard by people sitting close by, but it’s a lot better.

Now for the visuals. The Xreal One specs boast a 1080p image produced by Sony Micro-OLED displays that boast a peak 600nits perceived brightness, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a 50-degree field of view.

The end result is an image that looks really good. Yes it’s only Full HD quality but the colors are beautiful, and the excellent contrast is super-handy when you're trying to follow the action in dark scenes (though you’ll need the brightness set to max).

I’ve been using the smart specs to stream Daredevil: Born Again (it’s superb by the way), Invincible season 3 (also great), and play games using my PC and PS5 by connecting them to the specs via HDMI adapters.

The high refresh rate and low lag help to ensure that games look smooth, and it was a blast to watch the action unfold on a giant 147-inch virtual screen.

(Image credit: Future)

While using them with my PC I also gave the specs a whirl for working. Having your documents laid out on a larger monitor was certainly handy, but one big advantage I found was these specs are excellent for working privately, especially while traveling. I could be writing up an embargoed story on a train or flight, and because only I can see my virtual laptop screen I don’t have to worry about people looking over my shoulder and seeing any information they aren’t meant to.

I just wish the Nebula app for Mac wasn’t still in beta, and that the also in-beta Windows app was easier to find (I had to go through Reddit rather than Xreal’s own website).

While you can use the Xreal One glasses with a plethora of USB-C devices, by far your best bet is the Xreal Beam Pro. It’s a smartphone-like add-on that's built by Xreal to be the perfect companion to its glasses, and the company has thoroughly succeeded in that regard. If your budget can stretch to purchasing the Xreal One and a Beam pro in a bundle, do it.

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Should you buy the Xreal One glasses? Buy it if…

You want top-end AR entertainment
These are the best AR glasses of this kind we’ve tested, thanks to their impressive sound and image quality.

You want privacy
These specs allow you and only you to see what’s on your phone or laptop screen with the right display settings, which makes them ideal for things like working on sensitive documents on your commute.

You don’t have headphones
These smart specs feature some of the best audio I’ve heard during my testing of different brands. Headphones are still better than the glasses audio-wise, but they don’t feel like a must-have with the Xreal One, as they do with other smart glasses.

Don’t buy it if…

You aren’t getting the Xreal Beam Pro
Xreal’s glasses shine when paired with its Beam Pro add-on. You don’t technically need it, but it makes the specs feel like a complete package, which makes it feel more like a necessity.

You don’t have a big budget
The Xreal One are great but also pricey. There are solid and cheaper alternatives out there that you could look at instead.

You want 4K
No smart glasses yet boast 4K, so if that’s a resolution milestone you’re waiting for you’ll need to wait a little longer.

Also consider

Xreal Air 2
If you want to stick with Xreal, the Xreal Air 2 or its electrochromic dimming-enhanced Xreal Air 2 Pro are both solid options that cost a little less – though expect a slightly less good image and noticeable inferior audio.
Read our Xreal Air 2 reviewView Deal

Meta Quest 3
While not a direct competitor to Xreal’s glasses, the Quest 3 is an XR product that you should consider if you want to experience what VR and MR have to offer – it’s simply superb.
Read our Meta Quest 3 reviewView Deal

How I tested the Xreal One glasses

I spent a few weeks testing the Xreal One specs for different use cases – gaming, entertainment, and productivity. I mostly used them at home on my couch, in bed, or at my desk, but I also made sure to take them with me on a couple of flights I took, and also used them during my commute a few times to get a sense of their capabilities in different environments.

I hooked them up to my PC, PS5 and smartphone (a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6), but my main connected device of choice was the Xreal Beam Pro. It’s the ideal companion for Xreal’s AR smart glasses, and worth picking up if you’re buying the Xreal One.

Read more about how we test.

• First reviewed March 2025

• Ajinomoto is best known for MSG but it also makes semiconductor material
• It dominates production of the ABF insulating film used in GPUs and CPUs
• The company plans 50 percent capacity boost with more investment by 2030

Ajinomoto is a Japanese company best known for producing MSG, or monosodium glutamate - the ubiquitous flavor enhancer commonly used in food, especially in Asian cuisine.

As one of the world’s largest MSG manufacturers, the company is often closely associated with the ingredient - the name "Ajinomoto" actually translates to "essence of taste" in Japanese.

Right about now, you’re probably wondering why this is on TechRadar Pro, right? Well, it’s because Ajinomoto is set to massively expand its investment in the semiconductor sector.

Increasing ABF production by 50%

A report from Nikkei Asia claims the Japanese food and biotech company plans to boost production of Ajinomoto Build-up Film (ABF), a key insulating material used in the packaging of advanced CPUs and GPUs, where it helps ensure thermal stability and electrical insulation.

First developed using the company’s expertise in amino acid chemistry (you can read the whole history here), ABF is now essential for high-performance semiconductor substrates and Ajinomoto holds over 95% market share in its category.

Nikkei Asia says Ajinomoto has already spent 25 billion yen over the past two years to expand production at its facilities in Gunma, northwest of Tokyo, and in Kawasaki, but it is now looking to increase ABF production capacity by 50%.

"We will invest the same amount or more by 2030 as demand increases," President Shigeo Nakamura, who took on the role in February 2025, said in an interview with Nikkei Asia.

"We are also exploring establishing new bases," he added, although this expansion is expected to remain within Japan.

Ajinomoto's ramping up of ABF isn’t a surprise, given that Nakamura previously worked in research and played a key role in the development of the company’s electronics materials division.

"We expect sales of electronics materials, mainly ABF, to grow at an annual rate of more than 10% through 2030," Nakamura told the news site.

"We will continue to meet needs by evolving ABF to a more highly functional form that supports high-performance semiconductors in the long term."

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Microsoft followed at least one part of my wishlist for its Copilot event when it announced Copilot Vision will be embedded in Windows 11 and the mobile app.

Copilot Vision will let the AI actually see what’s on your screen and the world around you. Microsoft first toyed with the idea in Edge, where Copilot could peek at the browser and offer help. But now it’s going system-wide, across apps, websites, and even what your smartphone camera shows on your screen.

The idea is to offer a proactive AI assistant that can scan an Excel sheet, summarize a PDF, suggest how to adjust your settings, or identify the wild berry you're not sure is edible or poisonous.

The appeal is obvious, even when compared to tools with similar features like ChatGPT and Gemini. Those tools can be great on a desktop or laptop, but they don’t have the luxury of being built directly into your operating system.

Copilot has a home-field advantage on Windows 11. Vision leverages that advantage. It doesn’t have to wait for a prompt; it can see what you’re doing and offer context-relevant help.

Copilot Vision caution

Microsoft clearly anticipates some trepidation over Copilot Vision's expansion based on how eager the company is to highlight the feature's privacy aspects. Microsoft says Copilot Vision only works when you grant access. Still, there’s no denying the privacy weirdness. The digital equivalent of someone looking over your shoulder sounds creepy out of context.

Of course, it's not like we haven't all been handing over swaths of data to the cloud to get slightly better movie recommendations or similar benefits. But I can understand why letting AI literally read your screen as you do the same might feel intimate in a disconcerting way.

Control and trust might make the difference in Copilot Vision's success. If Microsoft starts making Copilot Vision default-on or hides the permission settings in some deeply buried system menu, more people might turn away from Copilot entirely and turn to another option with the same abilities but with the user controlling it more.

I still think it will be a genuinely useful addition to Copilot, especially on the surprisingly well-designed Copilot mobile app. You'll want to keep track of what permissions you give and when Copilot Vision is active. I'd encourage trying it out, but keep your eyes open when the AI is doing the same.

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