Technology

Figure says its Figure 03 humanoid climbed a ladder autonomously, showcasing progress in whole-body robotic control while leaving reliability questions.

The post Figure 03 Humanoid Robot Climbs Ladder Autonomously in New Demo appeared first on TechRepublic.

Adding more fuel to the fire over which city is actually Australia’s best place to live, those residing in the all-seasons-in-a-day city of Melbourne have a new statistic on their side — and it all relates to fixed-line broadband speed.

Ookla, the company behind the hugely popular Speedtest tool that helps anyone diagnose their home internet speeds, has published its latest Global Index rankings, revealing median fixed-broadband download speeds by country and city.

As a country, Australia is slowly but surely moving up the table. There was a time we ranked as low as 86th, but we now sit at 50th, with a median fixed-broadband download speed of 162.34Mbps.

That improvement follows NBN Co’s September 2025 speed-tier shake-up, which introduced a 2Gbps wholesale option for eligible FTTP and HFC premises, alongside faster speeds on several existing higher-end tiers. Of course, not every Australian can access 2Gbps just yet — and, as we’ll see, the plan you choose is only one part of the equation.

For context, Singapore takes the crown with a median download speed of 447.75Mbps. One can only dream of a day when that becomes a reality Down Under.

Why the huge gap?

There are several reasons why Australia trails the pack so dramatically — although with 141 other countries clocking slower speeds, things could certainly be worse — and, in my mind, one of the most obvious is that many Australians are still connected to comparatively slow NBN plans.

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission publishes a quarterly Wholesale Market Indicators Report that provides an overview of active NBN connections and their download data rates.

The most recent report, covering the March quarter of 2026 and published in July, revealed there were just over 2.665 million active 50Mbps NBN connections, out of a total of 8.839 million residential broadband services. That works out to around 30.2%.

A 50Mbps plan naturally puts a ceiling on the speed a customer can record in a Speedtest. If enough users on lower-speed tiers are represented in Ookla’s sample, that will bring the national median down.

One relatively straightforward way for Australia’s international standing to improve, then, is for more eligible households to take advantage of NBN Co’s free fibre upgrade. The program is open to millions of eligible FTTN and FTTC premises, allowing them to upgrade to FTTP if they take out an eligible high-speed service — such as one of the best NBN 500 plans.

A fixed-line civil war

Move the slider over to ‘City’ and the results become much more varied, with cities from North and South America, Asia and Europe all jostling for position. Valparaíso in Chile takes the crown with a huge 425.84Mbps, followed by Abu Dhabi with 399.92Mbps, for example.

Australian cities evidently have some work to do. Scroll down to position 64 and you hit Melbourne with a median download speed of 177.69Mbps — faster than Australia’s national median, it must be said — while Sydney trails behind in position 76 with a meagre 149.91Mbps.

A difference of 27.78Mbps might not sound like much, but Melbourne’s median result is around 18.5% faster than Sydney’s. When intercity tensions are already high, that’s a huge bragging right for the southerners.

Wait, we can (try to) explain

Nobody ever wants to be seen as the weaker of two, and while the reported figures are great news for people in Victoria, there is potentially a plethora of factors at play that pave the way for a Melbourne victory.

We’re not here to make excuses, of course, but there are plenty of unknowns.

Firstly, there could simply be a larger proportion of Melburnians connected via superior fibre-to-the-premises infrastructure. FTTP allows households to access the fastest NBN plans, including the newer multi-gigabit options where available.

While it’s not totally conclusive, there is some evidence to support this idea. That evidence is publicly available technology-mix figures, although they’re reported at a state level, rather than for Greater Melbourne and Greater Sydney specifically. Data compiled from NBN rollout information indicates Victoria has a higher share of premises using FTTP than NSW — roughly 66% versus 60% — while it also indicates there are more active connections on the inferior fibre to the node (FTTN) connection type in NSW too.

This doesn’t completely settle the argument. The figures not only include regional areas, but they also show the technology available to a property, as opposed to an active plan supplying an address.

All fixed-line connections are welcome

Furthermore, on the subject of NBN, Ookla’s Speedtest results don’t only capture NBN connections, but fixed-broadband tests from other fixed networks too, including private fibre operators. Both Melbourne and Sydney are home to several such networks, including Vocus, GigaComm and OptiComm, while Melbourne also has DGtek — a private FTTP network concentrated in the city’s CBD and inner south-east.

Exact figures for active connections on those networks are tricky to come by. But if Melbourne has a higher concentration of people connected to these kinds of high-speed private fibre services, they could be recording considerably quicker test results and helping push its city median upwards.

Not telling the complete story?

Another excuse potential explainer is the way Ookla collects its data. Whereas the ACCC’s Measuring Broadband Report — which published its final instalment in June 2026 — monitors a selected group of Australian homes across nine popular ISPs, Ookla receives data when people choose to run a Speedtest.

This doesn’t mean someone repeatedly checking their connection can single-handedly skew the data, as Ookla averages each unique user’s results into a single sample for the relevant time period and location. Still, the results are dependent on who chooses to test. Melbourne’s sample could contain a different mix of internet plans, connection technologies, devices and Wi-Fi setups than Sydney’s.

(Image credit: TP-Link)When did you last check your Wi-Fi router?

Home equipment can make a considerable difference too. A household with a Wi-Fi 5 router tucked away in a cupboard, a busy 2.4GHz network and a phone testing from the other end of the house could record a much slower result than the same connection tested over Ethernet.

On the flip side, a newer Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 router, a properly positioned mesh system and a compatible device can give a household a far better chance of getting close to the speeds it actually pays for. That doesn’t make the underlying internet plan any faster, of course — it simply means the home network is less likely to be the bottleneck.

If your own Speedtest result seems suspiciously low, it may be worth checking out our guide to the best mesh Wi-Fi systems to find out if your home could benefit from an upgrade.

And, trying to claw a point back for Sydney, it can be argued that people often run a speed test when their internet connection starts lagging. While Melbourne’s median tested speed is higher, that doesn’t necessarily mean every connection in the city is consistently faster or more reliable.

• Virginia now makes data centers pay for their own power lines
• Virginia hosts 570 data centers, more than any other US state
• Spanberger says the policy could save residents hundreds of millions

The US state of Virginia is requiring data centers to cover electricity infrastructure costs created specifically by their rapidly growing power demands.

The move comes as electricity prices across the state have risen sharply alongside the expansion of artificial intelligence facilities.

State officials say the new requirement could prevent ordinary electricity customers from carrying costs associated with large data center developments.

Data centers face higher infrastructure costs

Virginia has become the largest data center hub in the United States, with at least 570 facilities operating across the state.

Their growing electricity consumption has required major investments in transmission infrastructure, increasing pressure on the regional power system.

The State Corporation Commission, Virginia’s public utility regulator, has ordered data centers to pay for transmission infrastructure used exclusively by their facilities.

The requirement means utilities can no longer spread those dedicated infrastructure costs across their wider customer base.

Electricity prices in the region have already increased substantially, with PJM Interconnection raising prices by 76% during recent capacity market changes.

Monitoring Analytics, an independent market watchdog, has attributed much of that increase to growing demand from data centers.

The issue has become politically important as artificial intelligence companies continue expanding computing capacity across Virginia.

Some local authorities have even asked employees and institutions, including schools, to reduce electricity consumption during periods of high demand.

"We are taking real steps to address rising energy costs for Virginians," said the Governor of Virginia, Abigail Spanberger.

"I will continue to work with the General Assembly and take action to make sure data centers pay their fair share, adhere to strict environmental standards, and listen to the concerns of local communities.”

Washington’s promise reaches the states

The Virginia decision follows President Donald Trump’s effort to make major AI companies finance infrastructure required by their expanding operations.

Trump met leading AI companies at the White House in March and urged them to “pay their own way” for necessary infrastructure.

The administration expanded that approach in July by calling on governors, utilities, and data center developers to follow similar principles.

Critics have questioned whether voluntary commitments can significantly change electricity costs without enforceable state or federal requirements.

Virginia is currently among the few states taking concrete action against rising electricity costs linked to large electricity users.

Oregon has also introduced higher electricity rates for data centers consuming at least 20 MW, under provisions contained within its POWER Act.

Portland General Electric subsequently increased rates for those large consumers by 30%, while residential electricity costs fell by approximately 1.3%.

The Virginia approach differs by focusing specifically on infrastructure dedicated to individual data center projects.

The policy could become increasingly important as AI companies expand AI tools requiring increasingly powerful computing facilities and greater electricity supplies.

If other states adopt similar requirements, data centers could face more direct responsibility for infrastructure costs they generate.

For Virginia households, however, the immediate question is whether the policy actually prevents future electricity increases rather than simply changing who pays existing infrastructure bills.

Spanberger said the state expects the measure to save Virginians “hundreds of millions of dollars” while requiring data centers to pay their fair share.

Via Tom's Hardware

Reportedly, not enough defect-free units were produced.

Steam’s hardware distribution partner in Europe was attacked, exposing customers’ personal information.

Klaviyo says fewer than 200 people are known to be affected by a sign-up bug that may have exposed passwords to third-party trackers.

The post Klaviyo Sign-Up Bug May Have Exposed Passwords to Ad Trackers appeared first on TechRepublic.

Cyber incidents are reaching UK manufacturers through both their own systems and their suppliers, putting production continuity under pressure.

The post 30% of UK Manufacturers Report Cyber Incidents in Their Business or Supply Chain appeared first on TechRepublic.

AI power demand is surging, but the grid problem emerging in US data is more local and complicated than a nationwide electricity shortage.

The post Will AI Data Centers Overwhelm the Power Grid? What US Grid Data Shows appeared first on TechRepublic.

Research links prolonged smartphone use to neck discomfort and hand pain, while evidence for spinal damage and weaker grip remains less certain.

The post The Physical Cost of Spending Hours on Your Smartphone appeared first on TechRepublic.

X-Men '97 season 2 is almost over. Indeed, with just one episode remaining of the popular Marvel TV show's latest season, we'll soon be saying goodbye to the titular super-team until their animated series returns for its third instalment.

There's a great deal for this season's finale to wrap up, too. Will the comatose Remy win his battle of wills with Apocalypse? Does X-Force teaming up with X-Factor mean we should prepare ourselves for an almighty showdown between their combined forces and the X-Men? And how will this season's last chapter ultimately set the stage for X-Men '97 season 3?

I can't answer any of those questions yet — but, I can tell you when season 2 episode 9, titled 'Survival of the Fittest', will be released. So, read on to find out when it'll come out!

What is the launch time for X-Men '97 season 2 episode 9?

I'm not sure Rogue would be able to take losing Gambit for a second time... (Image credit: Marvel Animation/Disney+)

The finale of X-Men '97's second season will make its Disney+ debut on Wednesday, August 12 at 12am PT / 3am ET.

That's the time it'll air in the US and Canada, anyway — for fans in the nations listed below, here's when it'll premiere on one of the world's best streaming services in your neck of the woods:

• US — Wednesday, August 12 at 12am PT / 3am ET
• Canada — Wednesday, August 12 at 12am PT / 3am ET
• UK — Wednesday, August 12 at 8am BST
• India — Wednesday, August 12 at 12:30pm IST
• Singapore — Wednesday, August 12 at 3pm SGT
• Australia — Wednesday, August 12 at 5pm AEST
• New Zealand — Wednesday, August 12 at 7pm NZST

Does X-Men '97 season 3 have a release date yet?

We'll see Morph, Wolverine, Storm, and Forge again in X-Men '97 season 3 (Image credit: Marvel Animation/Disney+)

No. However, Marvel's Head of TV, Animation, Streaming, and Comics Brad Winderbaum recently confirmed that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) adjacent TV show's third season will drop sometime in 2027. That follows Winderbaum previously stating that new seasons of the highly-rated cartoon will start to arrive every year from here on out.

Even so, I believe it'll be a long time before an official launch date is announced. There'll be plenty of opportunities for Marvel to reveal one before the end of 2026, with D23 Expo (14-16 August) and New York Comic-Con (8-11 October) traditionally being prime candidates for the comic giant to tease new details about upcoming seasons.

That said, Marvel usually doesn't unveil release dates for its TV shows until much closer to their actual launches, so I'd be amazed if we find out when the Marvel Phase 6 show's third season will premiere in the near future.

• Microsoft has hiked the cost of a Windows 11 license for PC makers
• A new report claims that the annual price increase is 'significantly' more this year
• That's really not going to help the PC market, coming on top of all the pain with hardware price rises that we're already experiencing

PC prices are already facing various unfortunate pressures — thanks to the RAM crisis, and other increased component costs aside from memory –— but it appears that Microsoft is throwing fuel on the fire with hikes on the software side.

Wccftech spotted a report from Economic Daily News (EDN), a Taiwanese site, claiming that Microsoft has increased the price it charges PC makers for a Windows 11 license. Apparently the cost of installing Windows 11 on a pre-built desktop PC or a laptop has gone up by 7% to 10% as of last month.

Of course, bear in mind this is just a rumor (and the article is translated, so we need to be careful about any potentially lost meaning), but it's an alarming sounding prospect.

Microsoft puts up the price of a Windows 11 license every year, so this isn't new or unexpected, but normally Microsoft applies a single-digit increase, and this year the price hike has reportedly been a good deal more, possibly tipping into double-digits (10%). The (translated) article calls this a "significant increase" compared to past years, and the information comes from an executive at an (unnamed) PC maker.

Seemingly current product prices already reflect Microsoft's extra charge, with the bigger rises in fees having been given to PCs with faster processors, we're told.

EDN observes that the prices of PCs are expected to rise by 5% in the third quarter of 2026, at least for Acer and Asus systems in the Taiwanese market. Other regions and vendors may, of course, vary, but all OEMs (PC makers) must pay Microsoft for a Windows 11 license (if using the OS, of course).

Analysis: software salt

(Image credit: Microsoft)

As noted, these cost increases are supposedly already priced into hardware on the shelves, and EDN observes that neither consumers nor businesses have really batted an eyelid.

That's mainly because the hardware-based pricing misery — for more expensive RAM, SSDs, GPUs (increasingly of late) and other components — is driving the nastier price rises, and the Windows 11 increase is relatively small fry in comparison. So, this software hike has purportedly flown under the radar, effectively eclipsed by the hardware pain.

If this report is true, and Microsoft has indeed put prices up a good deal more than normal, that's a distinctly unhelpful move. On the hardware side of the equation, we know prices to manufacture goods are going up — and that cost increases will inevitably be passed on to the end buyer. That's just business, but there's no obvious reason why software costs should be hiked more than normal, other than what the cynical might suggest appears to be opportunism from Microsoft (and maybe the growing cost of the AI side of the company).

This is effectively rubbing software salt into hardware wounds, and the PC market could really do without it. Although speaking of salt, all of this depends on whether this rumor is on the money, and I think it's worth remaining somewhat skeptical in that regard, albeit that EDN has proved a reliable source in the past.

Alienware 15 (2026) review: Two Minute Review

Alienware's going "entry-level" with this one. Or, at least sort of. The whole list of configurations of the new Alienware 15 (2026) is a little confusing. Officially it starts at £879 in the UK, but for that you get an RTX 3050 GPU instead of the 5050 that we have in this review unit. That's a five year old graphics card there hidden away in a 2026 laptop. So first thing's first, keep a bloody good eye on the spec you get. The last thing you want is to think you're snatching up a bargain, only to be caught out by a sub-par silicon mix-up crushing your frame-rates in the process.

The good news, though, is that on the whole the specs of the Alienware 15 (2026) we were sent (Ryzen 7 260, RTX 5050, 16GB DDR5, and 512GB SSD), is actually remarkably good value for money. Particularly in the US. You can pick one up for about $1,160 or so. It's a lot more expensive in the UK (£1,333) but Stateside, it's a healthy config that delivers some impressive performance as it just peeks over that $1,000 parapet.

Ultra graphical presets aren't off the table here, at 1920x1200, but medium-high on those AAA titles is really going to be the place that leverages that 165 Hz 1920x1200 panel most efficiently. It's not the best of screens, though, as Alienware's got this thing labelled as "IPS", and I'm just not sure about that, because to be frank, the color reminds me more of a TN panel from 2011, than a modern-day IPS, "IPS-like" maybe. Perhaps we've been spoiled with OLED displays of late. Perhaps.

(Image credit: Future)

It's not the only place that's been stripped back either; connectivity still touts Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 (yes, in 2026), the build quality is a little plasticky, and the bevelled edges and rounded corners everywhere feel a bit dated, even if it keeps in-line with the brand's style. Oh and then there's my personal pet peeve, the dreaded single-channel memory setup. So you (yes you) can spend more money and increase the capacity at a later date (I mean you could do that with a dual-channel setup as well, but what do I know?).

Fortunately, a lot of the usual laptop woes that crop up with single-channel memory are easily overlooked by that hefty RTX 5050 delivering the frame-rate goodness, but it's still worth bearing in mind, if you are fixated on using this thing for productivity over gaming.

Oh and the SSD is just sad. Sure it's a PCIe 4.0 drive, and the sequential speeds are good, but the random 4K writes are savagely low, and it's a 512GB model, leaving you with about 480GB to play with once Windows 11 is installed. Ouch.

Still, for the price, and those negatives aside, it's remarkably robust and a genuine bargain, particularly around deal time.

Alienware 15 (2026) review: Price & Availability

• Available for $1,159.99 / £1,333 (around AU$2,500)
• UK buyers pay a hefty premium compared to the US
• Base config still ships with RTX 3050 or 4050 era silicon

On the cost front, the Alienware 15 (2026), also known by its model number DA15265, is a curious thing. And its appeal is almost entirely dependent on where exactly your PC gaming escapades are based.

If you're in the US, it's a strikingly good deal. At $1,160 at time of writing, you get top-tier performance, delivering high frame-rates in modern titles, for a smidge over the $1K mark. If you're in the UK, though, this specific config will set you back £1,333.81. That's the equivalent of about $1,800. And yes, I know sales tax is a thing as well, but it's not $640 that's for sure. What a markup.

The more confusing element, however, is the broad range of SKUs available. It's not uncommon to see a single product and design offer many different configurations, especially graphics cards for gaming laptops, but the fact that the Alienware 15 (2026) is available with cards all the way down to an RTX 3050 does muddy the waters somewhat. Particularly if you're snapping up a quick deal around Black Friday, and don't take time to check the specs.

• Value score: 3.5 / 5

Alienware 15 (2026) review: specs

Base

Review

Price

$1,049.99 / £879 (around AU$1,679)

$1,159.99 / £1,333.81 (around AU$2,548)

CPU

AMD Ryzen 5 220

AMD Ryzen 7 260 (8 cores, 16 threads, up to 5.1GHz)

GPU

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 (UK) / RTX 4050 (US)

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050 8GB

RAM

8GB DDR5 5,600 MT/s

16GB DDR5 5,600 MT/s

Storage

512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe

512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe

Display

15.3-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) 16:10, 165Hz

15.3-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) 16:10, 165Hz

Ports and Connectivity

2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (PD 100W + DP 1.4a), 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, RJ45 (1GbE), combo audio; Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2

2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (PD 100W + DP 1.4a), 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, RJ45 (1GbE), combo audio; Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2

Battery

70Whr - 130W Adapter

70Whr - 180W Adapter

Dimensions

13.76 x 9.85 x 0.9 in / 349.5 x 250.3 x 22.95 mm

13.76 x 9.85 x 0.9 in / 349.5 x 250.3 x 22.95 mm

Weight

4.85lbs (2.2kg)

4.96lbs (2.25kg)

Alienware 15 (2026) review: Design

• Slimmer than you'd expect from Alienware
• Dated design leaves a lot to be desired
• Spongey keyboard and abrasive trackpad

Surprisingly for a 15-incher, the Alienware 15 (2026) is... well, not quite as bulky as you'd expect for an Alienware unit at the budget end of the spectrum.

It's not light at 2.2kg (4.85lbs), at least not in this configuration, but it's a far cry from what you'd usually expect for an affordable gaming laptop. Sadly, Alienware's still hanging onto that smooth-faced design somewhat here, and there's a lot of curvature. The panels, the chassis, the hinge, the edges, they all slowly curve downwards, into an almost egg-shaped design. Even the screen has a bevelled curved edge smoothly radiating outwards, which does feel a touch dated compared to some of the competition out there.

Perhaps unsurprisingly for a laptop at this price, the materials aren't the best either; there's a lot of plastic here, and it's the single biggest indicator that, yeah, this might be on the cheaper end of the budget spectrum.

(Image credit: Future)

The keyboard too, is remarkably spongy. If you told me it was a membrane board, I'd believe you, and the trackpad has this weird cheap semi-abrasive finish to it that gives me the ick a little bit (thanks Gen Z). But you know, no gamer worth their salt is going to be using that over one of the best gaming mice anyway.

Port selection is fairly minimal too, and there's no Thunderbolt either (given it's an AMD platform), although you do get HDMI 2.1, and Gigabit Ethernet to cover the essentials.

• Design score: 3.5 / 5

Alienware 15 (2026) review: Design

• RTX 5050 and 1200p screen are a radical pairing
• Single-channel RAM is frustrating
• Rapid sequential SSD performance, but it struggles on large transfers

Alienware 15 (2026) benchmarks

3DMark: Solar Bay: 39,795; Steel Nomad: 8,995
Cinebench R24: Single Core: 103; Multi Core: 826
Crossmark: Overall: 1,447; Productivity: 1,454; Creativity: 1,538; Responsiveness: 1,186
CrystalDiskMark: Sequential Read: 6,936.23 MB/s; Sequential Write: 5,899.46 MB/s; 4K Random Read: 57.73 MB/s; 4K Random Write: 119.74 MB/s
HandBrake 4K to 1080p: 125.6fps
Total War: Warhammer III: Mirrors of Madness (1080p, Medium): 134fps
Cyberpunk 2077: (1080p, Medium): 90.2 fp; (1080p, Medium, FSR Quality + FG): 156.6fps
Battery Life (PCMark 10): 4 hours and 9 minutes

Alienware's paired Nvidia's RTX 5050 laptop chip with that (I'm still calling it an) "IPS-like" 1920x1200 display capable of driving 165 Hz refresh rates, with AMD FreeSync to back it all up (at least in this configuration), and the good news is that performance absolutely slaps at that resolution.

Cyberpunk 2077 on the medium preset averaged 90fps at 1080p with the lows sliding in at just 72, and not a drop of upscaling insight. Switch to DLSS on quality with frame generation, and that figure skyrockets to 157 fps on average. Total War: Warhammer 3, also managed an impressive 134 fps as well, and Final Fantasy XIV's Dawntrail benchmark clocked an impressive 102 fps on the High (laptop) preset. Ultra at native resolution isn't off the cards here, and it shows.

As for the CPU, that's one of AMD's Zen 4 Hawk Point Ryzen 7 260s, complete with eight cores and 16 threads, and it cuts just as neatly a line in professional activities as its RTX 5050 counterpart does in game. Cinebench 2024 managed 826 points in the multi-core test, and it savaged 3D Mark's CPU Profile benchmark with a juicy 7,558.

(Image credit: Future)

There are a few caveats worth mentioning. Namely, the SSD is a bit... underwhelming. For one, it's just a 512GB model, and although its sequential performance is solid (it's a PCIe 4.0 unit provided by Samsung), the figures that count for game load times, random 4K read and writes, were well under par.

And then there's the memory. I've banged on enough about how frustrating it is dealing with the memory crisis, and manufacturers continually turning to single channel setups for their off the shelf PCs and laptops, and it's unfortunately true here. If you do want to expand and chuck another 16GB stick in later, yeah you can, but there really ought to have been a default option for that from the get go. It's like we're going backwards in performance, not forwards.

• Performance score: 4/5

Alienware 15 (2026) review: Battery life

• Rapid charging
• 70 Whr battery can't compete against hungry silicon

Let's not beat around the bush here; this is a gaming notebook. It's not a Snapdragon-based Acer model with ridiculously impressive multi day battery life, nor is it one of Intel's hyper-efficient Panther Lake units like we saw in Dell's latest XPS, no sir.

You can throw all the Nvidia Optimus screen switching tricks you can at this thing, but at the end of it all, it's still going to chew through battery life faster than I get through cable ties. And chew through it it did.

(Image credit: Future)

The Alienware 15 managed just 89 minutes in PC Mark's gaming battery benchmark, before tapping out at 2%. The video test faired much better however, scoring 4 hours and 9 minutes, although again a far cry from the 14 hours Asus's Vivobook S 15 Copilot managed.

Should I buy the Alienware 15 (2026)?

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

The performance per $ you're getting here is insane, particularly with that GPU and screen combo. However there's a catch, and if you're in the UK, you're going to be sorely disappointed.

3.5 / 5

Design

It's slimmer than its typical counterparts, and the port selection is solid, just don't expect modern 2026 connectivity standards.

3.5 / 5

Performance

Gaming performance? Tick. CPU performance? Also tick. But the SSD and RAM direly need an update.

4 / 5

Battery Life

89 minutes of gaming; four hours of content streaming; your ten year old Dell probably manages the same.

3 / 5

Final Score

If you're US based, and all you care about is gaming on the move, the Alienware 15 won't leave you disappointed. Just remember to keep it plugged in while you do it.

3.5 / 5

Buy it if…

You want a plug-in 1200p gaming notebook that actually puts that 165 fps panel to work
The RTX 5050 paired with the screen is genuinely smart, and delivers impressive performance at the price without any upscaling or frame-gen trickery.View Deal

You're on a tight budget, but you still want to game
This might be one of the best gaming laptops we've seen for the price. Yes, it's got a few rough edges, but if you smooth them out, it'll easily deliver.View Deal

Don't buy it if…

You care about color accuracy, or brightness
Officially, the panel's rated for just 62.5% sRGB coverage at 300 nits. Creative work, at least color-accurate creative work, is off the table entirely. This isn't a punchy OLED, that's for sure.View Deal

You're after a modern design
Bevelled edges everywhere really don't help sell the "premium" aesthetic that Alienware's after here. Maybe it's time to retire the curves in favor of something a little sharper.View Deal

Alienware 15 (2026) review: Also Consider

Lenovo LOQ 15

Lenovo's budget line is the one to beat. The current LOQ 15 pairs similar RTX 50-series graphics cards with street prices that regularly undercut the DA15265 by quite the margin. Dodge the Alienware tax, and benefit with a better piece of kit.

Read our full Lenovo LOQ 15 review

Acer Nitro 16

Acer's Nitro line follows in a very similar vein and its latest line-up including the RTX 50 series equally packs in some serious clout. You get the same GPUs, with better panels, consistently cheaper. That's a win through and through.

Read our full Acer Nitro 16 review

How I tested the Alienware 15 (2026)

• Tested at home, in the office and on the move
• Benchmarked and used across a wide variety of gaming and productivity tasks
• 11 years of expertise testing laptops, and three weeks with the Alienware 15

I put the Alienware 15 (2026) through its paces, testing it against my usual suite of gaming laptop benchmarks, covering everything from CPU performance, to gaming and everything else in between. I compared it against my database of similarly priced laptops, and used it as my daily driver for three weeks of thorough testing.

Every result was captured under identical, controlled conditions, on a clean Windows 11 install, with the latest updates and drivers. No programs or bloatware were removed, and no power profiles altered during testing, to better represent what an end-user might expect.

• First reviewed: August 2026

• Aliens: Fireteam Elite has been shut down on Nintendo Switch
• The game was offered as a cloud version on the platform, which meant it relied on being streamed from a server over the internet
• Those that spent money on the game do not appear to have been refunded

The Nintendo Switch version of Aliens: Fireteam Elite has been shut down, rendering it unplayable for those who bought it.

The game launched on Nintendo Switch on April 26, 2023, and unlike the versions available on other platforms, was a cloud version. That means it relied on being streamed from a server over an internet connection. A short demo version was available to try for free, but access to the full game cost $29.99.

There was even a $59.99 Ultimate Edition on offer, which threw in a raft of DLC, and means that some players would have paid 60 bucks for something that they can now no longer access at all.

Developer Cold Iron Studios quietly announced the shutdown back in March this year, sending a message to players thanking them for their support and confirming that the game "will be accessible until August 5, 2026" at which point buyers would "no longer be able to access the game."

It continued: "We apologize to our loyal customers for any inconvenience this may cause, and we appreciate your understanding. We hope you will continue to enjoy our other game titles."

Noticeably, there was no mention of any kind of refund for those who spent money on the game, and it doesn't appear that any affected players got one.

The news has picked up some steam on the r/gaming subreddit, with commenters rallying against cloud gaming and referencing fears surrounding the recent confirmation that Sony would be discontinuing the production of physical game discs in 2028 — pushing gamers towards digital formats.

"Everyone who bought this game should be eligible for a full refund," reads the top-rated comment. "This is why you don't buy a 'Cloud' version of a game," added another commenter. "It is a ticking clock."

One user wrote: "This is going to happen more and more as an all-digital future becomes standard... You don't own anything, you're just paying for the license to play something until it gets taken away."

A sequel, Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2, is expected to launch this year for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S on August 25. It's also expected to come to Nintendo Switch 2 at a later date. Importantly, it won't be a cloud version, which will likely come as a relief to potential buyers.

• UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has brought new subscription cancellation laws forward
• Originally scheduled for Spring 2027, they'll be in place by January 2027
• The government is also tackling 'phoney bargains' that promise bigger discounts than you're really getting

The UK’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced consumer protection plans which aim to make it as easy to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up, and crack down on pretend deals, will be brought forward.

Originally set to land next spring, Burnham says they’ll be introduced by January 2027, “In time for when people often start new subscriptions, or cancel the ones they have, for the year ahead,” he explained in a Guardian article.

Once introduced the rules will require businesses to provide reminders before a free or discounted trial ends, and before a 12-month or longer contract automatically renews. Additionally UK subscribers will have a 14-day cooling off period once a free or discounted trial ends, or a 12-month or longer contract renews, to back out of the arrangement with a “full or proportionate refund.”

On top of this the government is mandating “straightforward cancellations,” such as requiring online exits for online sign ups.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

According to government statistics, there are 155m active subscriptions in the UK — and nearly 10 million are believed to be unwanted, costing members of the public an estimated £1.6 billion a year. Burnham adds, “The changes we are introducing will save an average of £14 a month for every unwanted subscription.”

Shadow chancellor Mel Stride described the announcement as “reheated,” as the new subscription rules were already announced under former Prime Minister Keir Starmer in April.

Fake bargains be gone

In addition to the fast-tracked subscription changes, the new rules will now also tackle “phoney bargains” as Burnham describes them — which can trick shoppers into believing they’ve snagged a better deal than they really have.

Essentially, if a deal is described as being half-off it has to actually be half-off. This would prevent a shop from drastically raising prices right before a sale to make discounts look stepper, or from pointing out how much a product is discounted based on a misleading recommended retail price (RRP) that the item hasn’t been sold at price for some time.

Similar rules were included in 2024’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act , however this change strengthens those protections and adds advertising false ‘was’ prices for on sale products to the Competition and Markets Authority list of banned practices.

This will make dishonest sales pricing illegal by default without the need to prove direct harm to consumers in each instance.

To hash out the exact rulings the government has said it will be launching a consultation this autumn.

Admittedly none of the changes are groundbreaking, nor will they entirely solve the cost of living squeeze we’ve been feeling, but I’m hoping they’ll make shopping online feel like less of a minefield — especially the new rules around sale prices.

I’ve covered half a dozen Black Fridays with TechRadar, rooting out the best tech deals I can find, and experienced first-hand how companies will try to obscure bad deals with bold discount promises — comparing sale prices to a long-forgotten RRP is one I’ve seen plenty of.

When it comes to subscriptions I think we can all conjure up memories of a free trial causing hurt when we forget to cancel, or setting up a recurring yearly subscription that gets lost to time, but continues to chip away at our finances.

Nothing will change right away, unfortunately. None of the new rules are set to land until January, though take this article as a reminder to look over your subscriptions today and maybe cancel the ones you don’t need any more.

• UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has brought new subscription cancellation laws forward
• Originally scheduled for Spring 2027, they'll be in place by January 2027
• The government is also tackling 'phoney bargains' that promise bigger discounts than you're really getting

The UK’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced consumer protection plans which aim to make it as easy to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up, and crack down on pretend deals, will be brought forward.

Originally set to land next spring, Burnham says they’ll be introduced by January 2027, “In time for when people often start new subscriptions, or cancel the ones they have, for the year ahead,” he explained in a Guardian article.

Once introduced the rules will require businesses to provide reminders before a free or discounted trial ends, and before a 12-month or longer contract automatically renews. Additionally UK subscribers will have a 14-day cooling off period once a free or discounted trial ends, or a 12-month or longer contract renews, to back out of the arrangement with a “full or proportionate refund.”

On top of this the government is mandating “straightforward cancellations,” such as requiring online exits for online sign ups.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

According to government statistics, there are 155m active subscriptions in the UK — and nearly 10 million are believed to be unwanted, costing members of the public an estimated £1.6 billion a year. Burnham adds, “The changes we are introducing will save an average of £14 a month for every unwanted subscription.”

Shadow chancellor Mel Stride described the announcement as “reheated,” as the new subscription rules were already announced under former Prime Minister Keir Starmer in April.

Fake bargains be gone

In addition to the fast-tracked subscription changes, the new rules will now also tackle “phoney bargains” as Burnham describes them — which can trick shoppers into believing they’ve snagged a better deal than they really have.

Essentially, if a deal is described as being half-off it has to actually be half-off. This would prevent a shop from drastically raising prices right before a sale to make discounts look stepper, or from pointing out how much a product is discounted based on a misleading recommended retail price (RRP) that the item hasn’t been sold at price for some time.

Similar rules were included in 2024’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act , however this change strengthens those protections and adds advertising false ‘was’ prices for on sale products to the Competition and Markets Authority list of banned practices.

This will make dishonest sales pricing illegal by default without the need to prove direct harm to consumers in each instance.

To hash out the exact rulings the government has said it will be launching a consultation this autumn.

Admittedly none of the changes are groundbreaking, nor will they entirely solve the cost of living squeeze we’ve been feeling, but I’m hoping they’ll make shopping online feel like less of a minefield — especially the new rules around sale prices.

I’ve covered half a dozen Black Fridays with TechRadar, rooting out the best tech deals I can find, and experienced first-hand how companies will try to obscure bad deals with bold discount promises — comparing sale prices to a long-forgotten RRP is one I’ve seen plenty of.

When it comes to subscriptions I think we can all conjure up memories of a free trial causing hurt when we forget to cancel, or setting up a recurring yearly subscription that gets lost to time, but continues to chip away at our finances.

Nothing will change right away, unfortunately. None of the new rules are set to land until January, though take this article as a reminder to look over your subscriptions today and maybe cancel the ones you don’t need any more.

SK hynix approved about $38.1 billion for two memory fabs, but new HBM and NAND capacity may not ease AI-driven supply pressure until 2029.

The post SK hynix Approves $38 Billion Memory Expansion as AI Demand Strains Supply appeared first on TechRepublic.

We've tested several generations of the Lenovo Legion 5i, and always found it to be a well-rounded creative, work, and gaming laptop. So, this deal on the Lenovo Legion 5i for $1499 (was $2200) at Walmart caught my eye.

The powerhouse combines an Intel Core i7-14700HX processor with Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The 15.1-inch WQXGA OLED display pairs a 165Hz refresh rate with Lenovo's PureSight technology and anti-burn-in measures.

Legion Coldfront cooling helps manage temperatures under heavy loads, and you get TrueStrike keyboard and AI Engine+, plus three months of Microsoft 365 Personal.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Lenovo Legion 5i if...

You want a creative laptop with enough power to handle most tasks you throw at it. The RTX 5060 and Core i7-14700HX make for a capable combination, while the 165Hz OLED panel provides the fast refresh rate gamers look for alongside the contrast and image quality associated with OLED.

❌ Skip the Lenovo Legion 5i if...

Portability and long unplugged runtimes often matter more than performance. Powerful HX-series processors, discrete graphics, and high-refresh OLED displays aren't designed primarily around maximizing battery life. You may also want more than 16GB of RAM if you're planning on running particularly demanding workloads.

Intel Core i7-14700HX | 16GB DDR4 | 1TB SSD

The Legion 5i combines a Core i7-14700HX processor, RTX 5060 graphics, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, and 15.1-inch WQXGA 165Hz OLED display with Coldfront cooling and a TrueStrike keyboard.View Deal

Why we recommend it

The Legion 5i packs several features we'd want from a modern laptop into one machine. You're getting RTX 5060 graphics rather than an older-generation GPU, a powerful 20-core Core i7-14700HX processor, and a fast OLED display instead of the more ordinary IPS panels found on many notebooks.

The 1TB SSD also provides a reasonable starting amount of storage for all your main files and applications.

Price context & historical value

Deals on high-powered creative laptops with graphics cards can sometimes be a bit underwhelming, but this one

The current $1,499 price is particularly interesting because we saw this laptop discounted to $1,621 just last week. That's another $122 knocked off in a matter of days, and Walmart lists the standard price at $2,199.99.

Compared with that price, you're saving $700.99, or almost 32%. Anyone who considered buying it during last week's deal will obviously be getting a substantially better offer now.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

The 16GB of RAM is adequate for most basic tasks today, but it's relatively modest alongside the powerful CPU and GPU, particularly if you also plan to use the laptop for heavy creative work.

There's a student bundle, and this has eligibility requirements, requires post-purchase redemption, and includes subscriptions that automatically renew.

While it's nice to get three months of Microsoft 365 Personal with it for free, that time will fly by and you'll need to think about what you'll do when the trial expires.

Also consider

AMD Ryzen 7 250 | 32GB DDR5 | 1TB

Packing serious hardware, this laptop combines RTX 5060 graphics with a Ryzen 7 processor, 32GB RAM, 1TB storage, and a sharp 15.3-inch WQXGA OLED display running at 165Hz.View Deal

We've tested several generations of the Lenovo Legion 5i, and always found it to be a well-rounded creative, work, and gaming laptop. So, this deal on the Lenovo Legion 5i for $1499 (was $2200) at Walmart caught my eye.

The powerhouse combines an Intel Core i7-14700HX processor with Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The 15.1-inch WQXGA OLED display pairs a 165Hz refresh rate with Lenovo's PureSight technology and anti-burn-in measures.

Legion Coldfront cooling helps manage temperatures under heavy loads, and you get TrueStrike keyboard and AI Engine+, plus three months of Microsoft 365 Personal.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the Lenovo Legion 5i if...

You want a creative laptop with enough power to handle most tasks you throw at it. The RTX 5060 and Core i7-14700HX make for a capable combination, while the 165Hz OLED panel provides the fast refresh rate gamers look for alongside the contrast and image quality associated with OLED.

❌ Skip the Lenovo Legion 5i if...

Portability and long unplugged runtimes often matter more than performance. Powerful HX-series processors, discrete graphics, and high-refresh OLED displays aren't designed primarily around maximizing battery life. You may also want more than 16GB of RAM if you're planning on running particularly demanding workloads.

Intel Core i7-14700HX | 16GB DDR4 | 1TB SSD

The Legion 5i combines a Core i7-14700HX processor, RTX 5060 graphics, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, and 15.1-inch WQXGA 165Hz OLED display with Coldfront cooling and a TrueStrike keyboard.View Deal

Why we recommend it

The Legion 5i packs several features we'd want from a modern laptop into one machine. You're getting RTX 5060 graphics rather than an older-generation GPU, a powerful 20-core Core i7-14700HX processor, and a fast OLED display instead of the more ordinary IPS panels found on many notebooks.

The 1TB SSD also provides a reasonable starting amount of storage for all your main files and applications.

Price context & historical value

Deals on high-powered creative laptops with graphics cards can sometimes be a bit underwhelming, but this one

The current $1,499 price is particularly interesting because we saw this laptop discounted to $1,621 just last week. That's another $122 knocked off in a matter of days, and Walmart lists the standard price at $2,199.99.

Compared with that price, you're saving $700.99, or almost 32%. Anyone who considered buying it during last week's deal will obviously be getting a substantially better offer now.

The Catch: What to know before you buy

The 16GB of RAM is adequate for most basic tasks today, but it's relatively modest alongside the powerful CPU and GPU, particularly if you also plan to use the laptop for heavy creative work.

There's a student bundle, and this has eligibility requirements, requires post-purchase redemption, and includes subscriptions that automatically renew.

While it's nice to get three months of Microsoft 365 Personal with it for free, that time will fly by and you'll need to think about what you'll do when the trial expires.

Also consider

AMD Ryzen 7 250 | 32GB DDR5 | 1TB

Packing serious hardware, this laptop combines RTX 5060 graphics with a Ryzen 7 processor, 32GB RAM, 1TB storage, and a sharp 15.3-inch WQXGA OLED display running at 165Hz.View Deal

The iPhone Ultra probably won’t launch for around another month, but we already have a fair idea of what to expect — and that’s not just thanks to leaks and rumors, but also because Samsung has launched what we think is a very similar phone.

That phone, of course, is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, a foldable device with a passport-like form factor, which is very much in line with what we’re hearing Apple is planning for its first foldable, reportedly called the iPhone Ultra.

That form factor, and particularly the screen sizes and shapes it results in, are arguably the most interesting things about these phones, since they’re different to the book-style and clamshell-style foldables we’re used to seeing.

But just how similar will the screens on these two phones be? Well, while we won’t be certain of anything until Apple unveils the iPhone Ultra, we’ve taken some educated guesses below, based on leaks and rumors about that phone, coupled with the confirmed specs of the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

iPhone Ultra (rumored)

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

Display (unfolded):

7.7-7.8 inches, 4:3

7.6 inches, 4:3

Display (folded):

5.3-5.49 inches, 16:10

5.5 inches, 16:10

Dimensions (unfolded):

120.6 x 167.6 x 4.5-4.8mm

161.4 x 123.9 x 4.5mm

Dimensions (folded):

120.6 x 83.8 x 9.0-9.6mm

81.9 x 123.9 x 9.7mm

How will their foldable screens compare?The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8Richard Priday / TechRadarAn iPhone Ultra dummy unitSonny Dickson

Much like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 folds open like a book, but unlike the tall and narrow Z Fold 8 Ultra, it has a slightly smaller and more passport-like display, and we’re expecting something similar from the iPhone Ultra.

To be more specific, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a 7.6-inch 1828 x 2448 AMOLED screen with around 403 pixels per inch, a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, and an aspect ratio of 4:3.

That aspect ratio makes it more suited to watching widescreen video than typical book-style foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, as our content viewing comparison shows, and speaking of books, it’s arguably also a better shape for reading, too.

So, what of the iPhone Ultra? Well, going by leaks, this device will probably have a foldable display of between 7.7 and 7.8 inches. Different sources point to slightly different numbers, but all the recent leaks put it in roughly that range.

So that would make it ever so slightly bigger than the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s screen — though still smaller than the 8-inch Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

The silhouette of the rumored iPhone Ultra atop the Galaxy Z Fold 8 (Image credit: Samsung / Future)

We’re less sure of what the resolution will be, but leaker Digital Chat Station (via MacRumors) claimed last year that it would be 1920 x 2713 and that it would have a 4:3 aspect ratio. Though it’s worth noting that this resolution wouldn’t actually yield a 4:3 aspect ratio, so at least one of these numbers must be at least slightly wrong.

In any case, 4:3 would make for the same aspect ratio as the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and while this rumored resolution would be slightly higher, the marginally bigger display size should mean it still offers a similar number of pixels per inch.

We’re inclined to believe the aspect ratio here more than the resolution, as leaked renders of the iPhone Ultra show a very similar screen shape to that of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8.

We also fully expect the iPhone Ultra to have an AMOLED screen, just like Samsung’s phone, since other iPhones use that too.

We haven’t heard much about the iPhone Ultra’s screen brightness, but the iPhone 17 Pro, for example, has a 3,000-nit peak brightness, so the iPhone Ultra might well match that — and match the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s brightness in the process.

In which case, there may be no significant difference between their foldable screens, with the iPhone’s probably just being slightly larger — though it may also have a less visible crease, if rumors are to be believed. The iPhone Ultra’s corners are also likely to be curvier than the Z Fold 8’s, based both on leaks — such as the dummy unit above shared by Sonny Dickson — and Apple’s typical design practices.

How will their cover displays compare?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (left) and an iPhone Ultra dummy unit (right) (Image credit: TechRadar / Sonny Dickson)

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a 5.5-inch 1248 x 1972 AMOLED cover screen with around 428 pixels per inch, and with an aspect ratio of 16:10. This leaves it a bit more of a square shape than the screens on most phones.

As for the iPhone Ultra, that could either have a 5.49-inch cover display with a 1422 x 2088 resolution (according to the source detailed in the section above), or a 5.3-inch cover screen (according to a paywalled report on The Information). So, in other words, it might either be slightly smaller than the Z Fold 8’s cover display or roughly the same size. It will also most likely use AMOLED tech, since other iPhones do.

Not much has been said about the iPhone Ultra's outer aspect ratio, but this again is likely to be similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s 16:10 one — both because it looks similar in leaked renders and dummy units, and because that would make sense if its internal aspect ratio is the same, as has been rumored.

So, as with their foldable screens, the main difference between the cover screen on the iPhone Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 might just be their size, with Apple’s possibly being slightly smaller in this case — though some leaks suggest there will be no real difference there either. In which case, it could just be the iPhone’s potentially curvier corners that set it apart.

How will their dimensions compare?The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8Lance Ulanoff / FutureAn iPhone Ultra dummy unitSonny Dickson

Screen sizes have a major impact on dimensions, but they’re not the only factor, with bezels and internal components also playing a role, so how will the iPhone Ultra compare to Samsung’s passport-style foldable there?

Well, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is 123.9 x 161.4 x 4.5mm when unfolded and 123.9 x 81.9 x 9.7mm when folded shut.

Sources aren’t in total agreement about the iPhone Ultra’s dimensions, but going by various leaks, it seems likely to come in at 120.6 x 167.6 x 4.5-4.8mm when unfolded and 120.6 x 83.8 x 9.0-9.6mm when folded, so it’s mostly just the thickness that there’s disagreement on.

That, in any case, would make the iPhone slightly shorter than Samsung’s phone but also marginally wider. When unfolded, it could be either the same thickness or slightly thicker, and when folded shut, it would seemingly be marginally slimmer.

Based on these rumored screen sizes and dimensions, which foldable phone would you rather buy? Let us know in the poll or comments section below.

The iPhone Ultra probably won’t launch for around another month, but we already have a fair idea of what to expect — and that’s not just thanks to leaks and rumors, but also because Samsung has launched what we think is a very similar phone.

That phone, of course, is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, a foldable device with a passport-like form factor, which is very much in line with what we’re hearing Apple is planning for its first foldable, reportedly called the iPhone Ultra.

That form factor, and particularly the screen sizes and shapes it results in, are arguably the most interesting things about these phones, since they’re different to the book-style and clamshell-style foldables we’re used to seeing.

But just how similar will the screens on these two phones be? Well, while we won’t be certain of anything until Apple unveils the iPhone Ultra, we’ve taken some educated guesses below, based on leaks and rumors about that phone, coupled with the confirmed specs of the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

iPhone Ultra (rumored)

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

Display (unfolded):

7.7-7.8 inches, 4:3

7.6 inches, 4:3

Display (folded):

5.3-5.49 inches, 16:10

5.5 inches, 16:10

Dimensions (unfolded):

120.6 x 167.6 x 4.5-4.8mm

161.4 x 123.9 x 4.5mm

Dimensions (folded):

120.6 x 83.8 x 9.0-9.6mm

81.9 x 123.9 x 9.7mm

How will their foldable screens compare?The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8Richard Priday / TechRadarAn iPhone Ultra dummy unitSonny Dickson

Much like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 folds open like a book, but unlike the tall and narrow Z Fold 8 Ultra, it has a slightly smaller and more passport-like display, and we’re expecting something similar from the iPhone Ultra.

To be more specific, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a 7.6-inch 1828 x 2448 AMOLED screen with around 403 pixels per inch, a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, and an aspect ratio of 4:3.

That aspect ratio makes it more suited to watching widescreen video than typical book-style foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, as our content viewing comparison shows, and speaking of books, it’s arguably also a better shape for reading, too.

So, what of the iPhone Ultra? Well, going by leaks, this device will probably have a foldable display of between 7.7 and 7.8 inches. Different sources point to slightly different numbers, but all the recent leaks put it in roughly that range.

So that would make it ever so slightly bigger than the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s screen — though still smaller than the 8-inch Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

The silhouette of the rumored iPhone Ultra atop the Galaxy Z Fold 8 (Image credit: Samsung / Future)

We’re less sure of what the resolution will be, but leaker Digital Chat Station (via MacRumors) claimed last year that it would be 1920 x 2713 and that it would have a 4:3 aspect ratio. Though it’s worth noting that this resolution wouldn’t actually yield a 4:3 aspect ratio, so at least one of these numbers must be at least slightly wrong.

In any case, 4:3 would make for the same aspect ratio as the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and while this rumored resolution would be slightly higher, the marginally bigger display size should mean it still offers a similar number of pixels per inch.

We’re inclined to believe the aspect ratio here more than the resolution, as leaked renders of the iPhone Ultra show a very similar screen shape to that of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8.

We also fully expect the iPhone Ultra to have an AMOLED screen, just like Samsung’s phone, since other iPhones use that too.

We haven’t heard much about the iPhone Ultra’s screen brightness, but the iPhone 17 Pro, for example, has a 3,000-nit peak brightness, so the iPhone Ultra might well match that — and match the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s brightness in the process.

In which case, there may be no significant difference between their foldable screens, with the iPhone’s probably just being slightly larger — though it may also have a less visible crease, if rumors are to be believed. The iPhone Ultra’s corners are also likely to be curvier than the Z Fold 8’s, based both on leaks — such as the dummy unit above shared by Sonny Dickson — and Apple’s typical design practices.

How will their cover displays compare?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 (left) and an iPhone Ultra dummy unit (right) (Image credit: TechRadar / Sonny Dickson)

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a 5.5-inch 1248 x 1972 AMOLED cover screen with around 428 pixels per inch, and with an aspect ratio of 16:10. This leaves it a bit more of a square shape than the screens on most phones.

As for the iPhone Ultra, that could either have a 5.49-inch cover display with a 1422 x 2088 resolution (according to the source detailed in the section above), or a 5.3-inch cover screen (according to a paywalled report on The Information). So, in other words, it might either be slightly smaller than the Z Fold 8’s cover display or roughly the same size. It will also most likely use AMOLED tech, since other iPhones do.

Not much has been said about the iPhone Ultra's outer aspect ratio, but this again is likely to be similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s 16:10 one — both because it looks similar in leaked renders and dummy units, and because that would make sense if its internal aspect ratio is the same, as has been rumored.

So, as with their foldable screens, the main difference between the cover screen on the iPhone Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 might just be their size, with Apple’s possibly being slightly smaller in this case — though some leaks suggest there will be no real difference there either. In which case, it could just be the iPhone’s potentially curvier corners that set it apart.

How will their dimensions compare?The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8Lance Ulanoff / FutureAn iPhone Ultra dummy unitSonny Dickson

Screen sizes have a major impact on dimensions, but they’re not the only factor, with bezels and internal components also playing a role, so how will the iPhone Ultra compare to Samsung’s passport-style foldable there?

Well, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is 123.9 x 161.4 x 4.5mm when unfolded and 123.9 x 81.9 x 9.7mm when folded shut.

Sources aren’t in total agreement about the iPhone Ultra’s dimensions, but going by various leaks, it seems likely to come in at 120.6 x 167.6 x 4.5-4.8mm when unfolded and 120.6 x 83.8 x 9.0-9.6mm when folded, so it’s mostly just the thickness that there’s disagreement on.

That, in any case, would make the iPhone slightly shorter than Samsung’s phone but also marginally wider. When unfolded, it could be either the same thickness or slightly thicker, and when folded shut, it would seemingly be marginally slimmer.

Based on these rumored screen sizes and dimensions, which foldable phone would you rather buy? Let us know in the poll or comments section below.