TechRadar News

• Budget Android phones shipped with firmware-level malware preinstalled before reaching customers
• Malware generated fraudulent ad revenue and turned infected devices into residential proxies
• Victims spanned 150 countries, with cleanup often requiring firmware-level remediation

Imagine buying a brand new, sealed Android phone, and later realizing it came with preinstalled malware rooted deeply into the firmware and thus almost impossible to remove - generating fraudulent ad clicks for a malicious third party, and even turning the phones into residential proxies to be used for whatever sinister purposes.

Security researchers Bitdefender found an unidentified threat actor managed to compromise the supply chain of multiple smartphone manufacturers and added malware on a firmware level before the devices were even shipped to stores.

A number of brands were mentioned, including Doogee S200 X, Doogee Fire 3 Max, and Cubot KINGKONG X - both Chinese smartphone manufacturers building budget, rugged Android phones.

The reports also mention ripoff devices impersonating Samsung and Apple products. In general, these are devices using MediaTek chipsets, which were infected in a way that allowed the attackers to tamper with applications, grant themselves higher privileges, and even do remote code execution (RCE) attacks without the victim’s knowledge.

Victims across the world

Unfortunately, these devices were shipped all over the world, and Bitdefender claims “thousands” of people were victims, scattered across some 150 countries around the world, with the highest concentration found in Mexico, France, Italy, United States, Germany, Brazil, and Spain.

The malware comes in different shapes and sizes. So far, Bitdefender uncovered 32 malicious apps, including those pretending to be weather apps, file managers app lockers, OCR tools, and audio editors. All of these do the same thing - create an invisible overlay over different apps and register an ad being viewed, despite the fact that the user never actually saw it.

That way, whoever installed the malware scams the ad network into thinking the ad was served to thousands of users which, in turn, generates profit. We don’t know exactly how many devices are compromised this way, or how much money the crooks stole this way.

"The system app itself doesn’t register the fraudulent impressions and clicks," Bitdefender said. "The revenue engine is driven by the dropped cover apps, including real-looking weather, app-lock, note, and OCR apps, which load genuine ads through a legitimate ad SDK. The goal is simple: to load an invisible window on top of apps that registers ads being shown."

Spilling into the Play Store

Bitdefender also said that one of the uncovered applications (the app locker one), contained a TCP proxy element that registered the compromised phones with a remote command server. After successful registration, the attackers were able to forward traffic through the phone, essentially creating a residential proxy service that criminals can use for different things, from launching DDoS attacks to participating in spam and wire fraud.

They also found more than a dozen applications on the Google Play Store with the same fraudulent advertising code, as well as the same communications infrastructure. These, however, required manual installation and required users to grant them the requested permissions, which might have raised flags with the users.

Removing the malware isn’t as easy as simply uninstalling the app. The researchers said that many of the devices require cleanup on the firmware level, or disabling the malicious component using Android Debug Bridge (ADB), which could be too technical for many victims.

The easier and more elegant solution is also a more expensive one - don’t buy devices from brands with a shady reputation.

If you're looking to upgrade your desktop display, I've found a great deal on the Asus ROG OLED monitor that combines a glossy 1440p OLED panel, a 240Hz refresh rate, and excellent color reproduction, and it's on sale right now.

• Best for: Content creators and professionals who want excellent contrast, accurate colors, and a smooth display for photo and video editing.

• The deal: The Asus ROG OLED monitor is now $384 (was $599) at Amazon, saving you $215.

• Why it matters: You're getting a 1440p OLED panel, 99% DCI-P3 color coverage, DisplayHDR 400 True Black certification, and advanced burn-in protection features at a considerably lower price than normal.

Today's best Asus OLED monitor

ROG 27-inch OLED monitor: was $599 now $384
This monitor features a 27-inch 1440p glossy OLED display, 240Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms response time, DisplayHDR 400 True Black, 99% DCI-P3 coverage, and Delta E < 2. View Deal

Why we recommend it

The Asus ROG monitor's 26.5-inch viewable WOLED panel delivers a 2560 x 1440 resolution, providing sharp images and a useful amount of desktop space for everyday tasks.

For content creation, the TrueBlack Glossy finish produces clear images and rich colors, making photographs, videos, and other visual content look great. The monitor's 99% DCI-P3 color coverage and true 10-bit color support with Delta E < 2 color difference is useful for creators - especially at this price. For video editing, I especially like the 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time, too.

Another useful feature is Asus OLED Care Pro, which includes functions designed to reduce the risk of burn-in. You also get DisplayWidget Center software, allowing you to adjust monitor settings through your computer rather than relying entirely on physical controls.

Price context & historical value

Amazon has reduced the price of Asus' ROG 27-inch OLED monitor from $599 to $384, saving you $215. That's a discount of approximately 36%, and is the lowest price we've seen this model sell for on Amazon so far.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the ROG 27-inch OLED monitor if...

You want a high-quality desktop monitor for creative work. This screen offers deep blacks, excellent contrast, and wide color coverage backed with a 240Hz refresh rate, and vivid images.

❌ Skip the ROG 27-inch OLED monitor if...

You need a 4K display, regularly work with static content for extended periods, or use your computer in a brightly lit environment.

• Shop all the best monitors Amazon

If your internet plan or devices have outgrown your old router, TP-Link's Archer BE670 Wi-Fi 7 model has a good discount right now with all the features I recommend.

For me, the port layout sets it apart at this price: a 10Gbps port and a 2.5Gbps port sit alongside Wi-Fi 7, so it should keep up with fiber plans and fast wired devices as you upgrade.

Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 with Multi-Link Operation also lets compatible phones and laptops use more than one band at once, though your devices need Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 to benefit for the fastest speeds.

• Best for: Multi-gig or fiber households and home offices that want a fast tri-band Wi-Fi 7 router with room to grow.

• The deal: The TP-Link Archer BE670 Wi-Fi 7 router is $250 (was $300) at Amazon.

BE670 Wi-Fi 7 Router: was $299.99 now $249.99
The BE670 is a BE12000 tri-band router with speeds up to 5,765 Mbps on 6 GHz, 5,765 Mbps on 5 GHz, and 688 Mbps on 2.4 GHz. It adds 320MHz channels and Multi-Link Operation, plus one 10Gbps WAN/LAN port, one 2.5Gbps WAN/LAN port, three 1Gbps LAN ports, a USB 3.0 port, EasyMesh support, and HomeShield security. TP-Link says it supports up to 128 devices, and Amazon sells and ships it.View Deal

Price Context & Historical Value

At $249.99, this is $50 (17%) off Amazon's $299.99 list price. According to CamelCamelCamel, that's almost the lowest price new since March - although Keepa suggests it dropped to $230 in June. So, it's about what I'd expect to pay for a Wi-Fi 7 router outside of a sales event like Prime Day or Black Friday.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the TP-Link Archer BE670 Wi-Fi 7 router if... you have a multi-gig internet plan or lots of wired gear, and you want a Wi-Fi 7 router with a 10Gbps port.

❌ Skip the TP-Link Archer BE670 Wi-Fi 7 router if... you only have a gigabit plan and a handful of devices, since cheaper Wi-Fi 7 routers will do, or you want a tested pick, since we haven't tested the BE670 ourselves and it has only 125 Amazon ratings so far.

• Check out more network deals at Amazon

Our report on laptop price hikes says analysts expect more increases ahead even as PC sales fall, which is why a laptop with plenty of memory and storage is a sensible buy now.

We've had great experiences with HP's OmniBook line in the past - and the HP OmniBook 16 AI is a great example of the sort of 'future-proof' laptop with a configuration that should stay useful for years.

32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD give it headroom that cheaper 16GB configurations lack, and are the parts most likely to get pricier. And the 50 TOPS NPU covers Windows' Copilot+ AI features as they arrive.

• Best for: Remote workers and professionals who want a future-proof laptop now, before prices climb.

• The deal: The HP OmniBook 16 AI laptop is now $1300 (was $2400) at Amazon.

The OmniBook 16 AI has a 16-inch 2K (1920 x 1200) IPS touchscreen, an AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 with six cores and a 50 TOPS NPU, Radeon 840M integrated graphics, 32GB of DDR5 and a 1TB NVMe SSD. It has two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, HDMI 2.1, a 1080p IR camera with a privacy shutter, Wi-Fi 6 and Windows 11 Pro.View Deal

Price Context & Historical Value

At $1,299.99, Amazon shows this as 46% off a $2,399.99 "typical price", but that figure comes from a third-party seller and may not reflect what this laptop usually costs. A better yardstick is the spec sheet: 32GB and 1TB at this price is strong value for a 16-inch touchscreen. Amazon Visa cardholders can also get $50 off on approval.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the HP OmniBook 16 AI laptop if... you want to buy a well-equipped 16-inch laptop now, before analysts' predicted price hikes arrive, and you value 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.

❌ Skip the HP OmniBook 16 AI laptop if... you need a dedicated graphics card for gaming or video editing, want Wi-Fi 7, or prefer buying from HP or Amazon directly rather than a third-party seller, and we haven't tested this model ourselves.

• Check out other laptop deals at Amazon.

• The Tor Project is maintaining its technical collaboration with Mullvad despite intense community pressure to sever ties.
• The backlash stems from a recent political donation made by a Mullvad co-founder to a controversial Swedish populist party.
• Tor is pausing all "proactive co-branding" and joint promotional activities to ensure its human rights mission isn't compromised.

The Tor Project has confirmed it will not terminate its relationship with Mullvad following intense community pushback over a political donation made by one of the VPN's co-founders. Instead, the privacy-focused nonprofit is setting "clear boundaries" on its ongoing collaboration.

The controversy began earlier this year when it was revealed that a Mullvad co-founder had made a financial donation to a controversial Swedish populist party.

The move sparked immediate debate within the cybersecurity community, leading some users to demand that Tor, an organization deeply rooted in human rights and anti-censorship, sever ties with what many consider to be one of the best VPN providers on the market.

However, in a statement published on October 9, the Tor Project explained that while it strongly opposes rhetoric that threatens human rights, it must balance its principles with pragmatism.

Ending the partnership, the organization claims, would do more harm than good to the communities that rely on its privacy tools.

"We are continuing our technical collaboration with Mullvad to sustain work that Tor users and contributors depend on," the statement reads. The Tor Project highlighted that this joint effort has significantly improved the Tor Browser's codebase and created a safer environment to test new features.

Drawing the line on co-branding

While the technical work behind the scenes will continue, including ongoing development of the privacy-centric Mullvad Browser, the public-facing relationship between the two entities is being actively scaled back.

To distance itself from any implied political alignment, the Tor Project announced it has "paused proactive co-branding with Mullvad."

This means any joint promotional activities will be halted, and the language used on Tor’s owned channels has been updated to describe the relationship more accurately and "avoid notions of implied endorsement" of Mullvad’s leadership or values.

"We recognize that the potential benefits to Mullvad of such a collaboration are difficult for some in our community to accept," Tor stated, acknowledging the difficult trade-offs behind the decision.

"Our responsibility is to ensure that this collaboration does not compromise our mission or the Tor Project's independence."

Why the partnership matters

(Image credit: Tor)

The collaboration between Tor and Mullvad has been highly fruitful for internet privacy advocates.

By working together, the two organizations successfully built an open-source browser that delivers the anti-tracking and anti-fingerprinting perks of the Tor network without requiring users to actively route their traffic through Tor's slower onion nodes.

Maintaining this complex codebase requires vast resources, something that the Tor Project notes is severely lacking in the broader fight for digital privacy.

"The work to promote and preserve the human right to privacy, free speech, and free access to information online is severely under-resourced," Tor explained, adding that advancing these goals often requires making difficult compromises.

While the Tor Project admits that this decision will not satisfy everyone and carries a "cost to trust" for some of its community members, it ultimately believes the technical benefits of keeping the internet safe for vulnerable users outweigh the political fallout.

Memory prices are still painful, so any discount is welcome, and this V-Color 32GB DDR5-6000 kit is $68 off at Newegg as part of its big computing sale.

• Best for: AMD builders who need a 32GB DDR5 kit and will take any discount they can get on pricey RAM.

• The deal: The V-Color Manta XSky 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 RAM kit is $460 (was $528) at Newegg with code GTWF84.

• Why it matters: RAM remains one of the costliest parts of a PC build, and this is the lowest price this memory kit has been in 30 days, once you add Newegg's limited-time discount code.

XSky 32GB (2x16GB) DDRS-6000 CL30: was $527.99 now $459.99
The Manta XSky kit is two 16GB DDR5 modules running at 6000MHz (PC5-48000) with CL30 timings (30-38-38-96) at 1.35V. It uses an AMD EXPO profile, falls back to DDR5-4800 base speed, and has RGB lighting. Newegg sells and ships it with free shipping and a lifetime limited warranty. For the full discount use code GTWF84View Deal

Why we recommend it

In our experience, DDR5-6000 CL30 is the usual sweet spot for AMD Ryzen systems, and the EXPO profile should let you set it with one click in your BIOS. The 32GB capacity suits gaming and general use, and Newegg's page marks the price as its lowest in 30 days.

Price Context & Historical Value

At $479.99, this is $48 (9%) off Newegg's $527.99 price, and Newegg shows a "Lowest Price in 30 Days" badge. That is still a lot for 32GB of RAM, which is why we'll take any discount we can. The page also lists an extra $20-off promo code, which may not last.

Should you buy it?

✅ Buy the V-Color Manta XSky 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 RAM kit if... you're building or upgrading an AMD system and need 32GB of DDR5-6000, and you'd rather not wait while RAM prices stay high.

❌ Skip the V-Color Manta XSky 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 RAM kit if... you have an Intel system and want an XMP profile, since this kit is AMD EXPO-focused, you don't want RGB, or you can wait for lower prices, and we haven't tested this kit ourselves.

• See all desktop memory at Newegg.

• Attackers abused Microsoft Power BI dashboards to lure victims into downloading ScreenConnect software
• Public dashboards mimicked blurred documents and redirected users to attacker-controlled sites
• Campaign established persistent remote access, potentially enabling ransomware, espionage, or data theft

Microsoft's Power BI has seemingly become the latest in an ever-growing line of legitimate software being abused in phishing attacks.

Security researchers Huntress said they uncovered a new campaign that leverages publicly accessible Power BI dashboards to trick people into downloading remote monitoring and management software (RMM) called ScreenConnect. The end game of the campaign is not known at this time.

Power BI

Power BI is Microsoft’s business intelligence and data visualization platform, allowing users to create charts, reports, and various dashboards, out of their data and other raw information. The tool itself can collect data from sources such as spreadsheets, databases, cloud services, and more, and users can publish reports and dashboards online, or share them with colleagues privately.

In this campaign, which started on or around September 10 2026, the threat actors created a public dashboard, likely using a throwaway Microsoft account (or a compromised one). Huntress does not confirm how that account was obtained, but says that the dashboard was designed to look like a blurred document with a button labeled “Download Reference”.

The blurred document trick is rather common in phishing emails. Other services such as DocuSign, Dropbox, and even Office 365, were being abused in the same way. To “unblur” (or unlock) the document, victims are told to click a link and follow along.

Sometimes they were asked to download a “premium” version of a document reader, or an “updated” one, and sometimes they were asked to log in using their Office or Google credentials. This attack is no different - clicking on the “Download Reference” button redirects the victim to an attacker-controlled website outside Microsoft’s infrastructure, where an automatic download of ScreenConnect is launched.

On its own, ScreenConnect is not malicious. It is a legitimate remote access and support tool developed by ConnectWise, and designed to help IT staff manage devices remotely. Through the product, users can connect other devices on the internet, troubleshoot problems, transfer files, and install software. Once installed and connected to an attacker-controlled endpoint, ScreenConnect can provide persistent remote access.

Establishing persistence

The researchers didn’t discuss how the emails were delivered, but since they contained a link to a legitimate Microsoft service, they most likely evaded at least some email filters and landed in people’s inboxes. After all, this is probably why Power BI was used in the first place (aside from the fact that it’s not commonly abused this way).

But what’s particularly interesting about this attack is that after deploying one ScreenConnect instance, the attackers deployed a second one and configured a scheduled task to repeatedly execute a PowerShell script. In at least one incident, they also deleted the first instance.

Why they did it remains a mystery. An educated guess would be that they were trying to establish reliable, persistent remote access, while at the same time making sure their activities were harder to detect and disrupt. If defenders were to discover and remove one malicious ScreenConnect installation, a second one might remain available.

This is all in the domain of speculation, unfortunately, since Huntress stopped the observed attack before it progressed beyond establishing remote access. Therefore, we don’t know if the goal was to steal data, deploy ransomware, or engage in financial fraud. What we do know is that with two ScreenConnects, they were able to establish a durable foothold inside corporate networks, which they could subsequently leverage for espionage, data theft, ransomware, or other financially motivated attacks.

As a general rule of thumb, the best way to defend against these types of attacks is to be highly skeptical of incoming emails, especially those with links to “locked” documents, and even more so those that end up with a ScreenConnect deployment.

Got your eye on the new iPhone Duo? Preorders for Apple's first-ever foldable flagship are set to go live this Friday and it's looking like it's going to be a popular launch. So much so, in my opinion, that it could potentially sell out.

If you are interested, however, note that there's a little trick you can use to get ahead of the crowds to make preordering easier.

Apple is opening its 'Get Ready' feature today, which allows potential customers to input details ahead of preordering. That includes shipping details, storage capacity, color, and carrier preferences. That's everything that could slow you down if you were to input them once preorders go live, essentially.

You can use the Get Ready feature on both the Apple Store page for the iPhone Duo and the Apple Store‌ app, so it's definitely worth doing if you're looking for a preorder. With this feature, all you have to do is turn up on time and click order, which could be handy if the device is flying off the shelves.

It's quite tough to predict whether the iPhone Duo will sell out or not, but I would err on the side of caution here if you're interested. Excitement is high since it's Apple's first foldable device and these types of devices tend to be manufactured in smaller batches. For example, the Galaxy TriFold sold out earlier this year.

What are the opening Apple iPhone Duo deals?

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple has already listed a few of the various preorder deals that will be going live this Friday, so you can also check those out to see if they fit the bill.

First up, there's Apple's trade-in rebate of up to $885 for unlocked devices. That matches the maximum rebate we saw on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, so it's a pretty good deal — albeit one that we were expecting.

Two other options listed on the iPhone Duo page are AT&T and T-Mobile. In the case of the former, it's a competitive trade-in rebate of up to $1,200 off with a new line. In the case of the latter, a rebate of up to $1,000, which is a little less than what I was expecting, to be honest.

One deal that's conspicuously missing from Apple's iPhone Duo page is Verizon's opening promotion. You'll have to navigate to Verizon's iPhone Duo page to see that, which is a great all-in-one bundle option. In short, you can combine a Duo with the carrier's 'Simplicity Pro' unlimited plan for $72.22/mo without having to trade in. The carrier is offering a whopping $33/mo discount on device payments, so this could be an extremely competitive opening promotion.

Note: we'll have more recommendations, tips, and news on the upcoming iPhone Duo in the next week. Stay tuned for more preorder content, including recommendations on carrier promotions once they're live.

The rise of generative AI, mixed with the ease of access provided by crypto currency, has created scamming opportunities we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago. Romance scams that exploit these technologies have now become one of the fastest growing and most devastating forms of financial crime.

The capabilities of generative AI mean it’s now possible to get scammed by a range of incredibly convincing fake personalities, including deepfakes of celebrities and public figures. In fact, according to the makers of the new documentary Super Scam Me, it’s revealed that an estimated one in seven American adults have lost money to this form of deception. In 2025 alone, romance scammers stole more than $1 billion from American victims.

In Super Scam Me, Emmy-winning investigative journalist Mariana van Zeller builds a digital target persona to intentionally lure a persistent fraudster, then teams up with a white-hat hacker to reverse-engineer the scammer’s digital footprint and track him down and confront him face-to-face.

In the documentary Mariana meets the victims whose lives have been upended by romance scams, including a woman who was duped into believing she was in a year-long relationship with Jon Bon Jovi. Yes, that Jon Bon Jovi. What she thought was a genuine connection with the superstar musician left her facing foreclosure on her home, providing a window into the devastating real-world consequences of these crimes.

I caught up with Mariana van Zeller to ask her about the new documentary, Super Scam Me.

TechRadar: From talking to people who were scammed, do you think they were especially gullible, or could this really happen to anyone?

Mariana van Zeller: I truly believe this could really happen to everyone. I mean, the main reason why I decided to do this documentary was because very often I come back from reporting on these scams and people's response would be, "How stupid could they be?" and "Why did they react like this?" and "Why do you give money to a stranger?" And I really wanted to turn the table around and start focusing on the actions of the actual scammers.

TR: How sophisticated are these scammers?

MvZ: You know, these scammers are very, very good at what they do. They spend a lot of time sort of honing their craft, and they use the latest technology out there. They have it all at their disposal. They have scripts, they work in teams, they're educated, there are schools for scammers out there. And they prey on emotions that are common to all of us. You know, hope, fear, love, greed in some cases. So as long as we have those emotions — which I believe every single one of us do — we are very likely, or it is very possible that we can fall victim to one of these scams.

Mariana van Zeller (left) with the people features in the documentary Super Scam Me. (Image credit: National Geographic / Disney+)

TR: How do we stop this?

MvZ: I think awareness is very important. I think we should be aware of how good these scammers are, about the tactics and technology and strategies that they use. It's partly what I've tried to show in Super Scam Me. But I also think the onus shouldn't just fall on individual citizens. We should be asking our governments, we should be asking big tech and banks to do a lot more than they're doing.

You know, Leslie is a great example. In the documentary, she was supposedly having a relationship with Jon Bon Jovi for almost a year. And she is out there right now. Her heart was broken. She lost a lot of money. She almost lost her house. She felt humiliated and shamed and suffered this enormous loss.

She is now out there herself, every single day, on these platforms, raising awareness and telling people that these are fake profiles and reporting every single one of these profiles to Facebook and to Instagram and Meta in general, and hoping that they will take them down. And she says just four or three in every 10 of these actually get taken down, and the rest have existed for months.

And again, it shouldn't be Leslie, right? It shouldn't be a person who is a victim of a scam trying to prevent other people from falling for these scams. It should be our governments, it should be big tech and our banks, and there should be just a lot more being done to make sure that we're protecting our citizens.

TR: Thank you Mariana.

Super Scam Me, premieres on October 17 in the US, airing on National Geographic at 9pm EDT and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu the same day. In the UK Super Scam Me premieres on Sunday 18th October at 10pm on National Geographic, and streams from the same day on Disney+.

If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this piece, support is available.

Whatever you are going through, you don’t have to face it alone. In the US, you can call or text the 24/7 Lifeline, which is confidential and free, at 988. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.

In the UK, you can call Samaritans for free on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the website to find your nearest branch.

• Lines of code, code commits and pull requests are all up 20-30%
• Comments per pull request are up 49% as human review becomes more crucial
• With reviewing up from 7 to 10 days on average, the new bottleneck is code review

A new Harvard University research paper has confirmed that AI is indeed excellent at boosting coding productivity, but humans just end up slowing the process back down anyway.

Authors Fiona Chen and James Stratton found a 30% increase in the amount of code developers can produce when using AI, but they found no statistically significant improvement in completed software.

With increases across lines of code produced (+30%), code commits (+20%) and pull requests (+23%), the Harvard-backed researchers went on to investigate why we're not seeing a 20-30% increase in end product.

AI has definitely sped up coding, but human delays negate much of those benefits

At the same time, the researchers also found increases across the time taken to review and merge pull requests (+49%), the number of reviewer comments per pull request (+35%) and even the proportion of employees doing code reviews (+14%), all of which implying that vibe coding is ultimately shifting the bottleneck further down the road instead of removing it altogether.

The paper also questions whether, with AI shifting the workload, companies are responding by allocating more workers to code review. Layoffs have become somewhat synonymous with AI – founded or not – and concerns about jobs continue, however the paper proves that human workers are still vital, just in other parts of the coding process.

Some thought it also given to the next stages of AI adoption, and whether it can help downstream in the code review stages. While AI is already being employed to some degrees in this part, "humans are still heavily involved with review."

There's also the consideration of added workload, with AI now capable of producing code much more quickly than humans ever could. The average review process has gone from taking 7.03 days to 10.48 days as a result of this shifted bottleneck.

The researchers also argue that AI-generated code needs substantially more corrections, begging the question whether it's actually helping at all.

Still, with AI adoption not resulting in any significant job losses, it seems, it's more a question about how companies can best use AI to support employees and reduce unnecessary workload, rather than how they can replace workers outright.

"The productivity gains are absorbed by downstream constraints in the production process," the paper concludes, adding that "code review becomes the bottleneck."

• A PC maker in the US says 'retail GPU pricing is expected to climb significantly'
• A further rumor suggests AMD just put up the cost of VRAM, which will affect the prices of graphics cards
• Rounding off a trio of fresh rumors is a claim that Nvidia has discontinued the RTX 5090

There have been a few developments in the GPU world over the weekend — and none of them bode well for the prices of graphics cards down the line.

For starters, Wccftech reports that according to the Board Channels — a reliable enough forum for chatter from the supply chain over in China — AMD has increased the cost of the GDDR6 video RAM it sells to board-making partners. This means that those graphics card makers will inevitably pass that cost on to consumers — if this rumor is accurate of course.

Bench Life further observes that more expensive VRAM isn't the only upward pricing pressure here, and that the cost of other graphics card components — including the main circuit board itself — is also rising.

Secondly, as Wccftech also noticed, we have a custom PC maker in the US, StinceBuilt, informing us on X that it is "starting to see increasing supply constraints on graphics cards" and that, "Retail GPU pricing is expected to climb significantly, and these elevated prices could stick around for quite some time."

Finally, VideoCardz highlighted another post on X from regular leaker MegaSizeGPU, who claims Nvidia will not allocate any more GB202 (Blackwell) chips to make the RTX 5090, and that all this silicon is going to be used in RTX Pro (AI) graphics cards.

In theory, that means it's the end of the line for the flagship RTX 5090, with its replacement (the RTX 6090 in theory) still quite some way off in the distance (a more recent rumor indicates that it's probably due to land in 2028).

Analysis: a cacophony of warning bells

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Dean Drobot)

Of all those sentiments, the last one needs the most seasoning, although it's believable enough that Nvidia is essentially canning the RTX 5090. By that I mean that if this is true, I don't think this will be an official (announced) discontinuation, but the way it'll play out is that Nvidia will allocate so few chips for the GeForce flagship that stock will effectively dwindle to next to nothing.

Arguably we're already seeing some evidence of this, certainly in the US where at Newegg, for example, you can't buy an RTX 5090 directly from the retailer, but only from third-party sellers (often in Asia). And the cost of the graphics card is tipping up towards $9,000, such is its scarcity — and you'll pay from £6,000 upwards in the UK, although at least stock is available to buy directly from retailers in that country. Still, I wonder how long that will last; and the idea of Nvidia pulling the plug on the RTX 5090 in a stealthy behind-the-scenes manner certainly feels like it's possible.

Meanwhile, the suggestion of AMD's Radeon GPU price rises backs up similar recent rumors, and the warning from the PC maker in the US that price tags are set to 'climb significantly' is another ominous addition to the warning bells that have been sounded of late.

I'm still very much of the opinion that it's a good idea to buy sooner rather than later, even though GPUs are already overpriced, because I fear that the situation could get substantially worse in 2027, as the grapevine indicates.

The key question is how long a recovery from these pricing pressures might take in the case of GPUs. Again, I have a suspicion that it might take a lot longer than we might hope.

Thinking of buying a drone? It can be tricky to know where to invest your money, and it's worth doing your research before you commit. Our product testers try out every major release, and in this roundup I've gathered together all our reviews from the start of 2025 onward. Tap the View Details button to see a summary of exactly what we thought of each one, plus a link to read each full, in-depth review.

It might not come as a surprise that DJI is particularly well represented — every 5-star drone of the past 20 or so months is a DJI model. The DJI Mini 5 Pro is a compact drone that's beginner-friendly yet boasts features more in line with far pricier models (including "class-leading video quality"). It's no surprise this model takes the #1 spot in our general best drone ranking.

We also loved the DJI Avata 360, calling it "wonderfully versatile and surprisingly affordable", and dubbing it "the 360 drone to beat". Professional users, meanwhile, will struggle to find fault with the stunning DJI Mavic 4 Pro.

Other drone brands are of course available, and price-conscious shoppers should take a look at the Potensic Atom 3 — this compact drone delivers an excellent feature set for a very affordable cost, and proves it's not all about DJI. (Although in the UK it does face stiff competition from the fantastic DJI Lito X1.)

Scroll down for a full roundup of the new drones we've put through their paces in recent months, and to find out exactly what we thought of them. Note: you'll only be able to see product cards for the drones that are available to buy in your region.

Flying high DJI Mavic 4 Pro

Read our full review

Pros

• Excellent price
• Feature-packed
• Impressive cameras

Cons

• Weight just exceeds 2.2lbs / 1kg
• More features than many people will need
• Subject tracking is not as varied as the DJI Flip or Neo

DJI Mini 5 Pro

Read our full review

Pros

• New 1-inch sensor with detail rich 4K HDR video
• Versatile camera with a 225 degree roll rotation
• Class-leading flight and safety features

Cons

• Actual take-off weight could result in being the next class of drone, hit with restrictions
• Flight times typically not as long as advertised
• Pricier than entry-level models like the Mini 4K

DJI Lito X1

Read our full review

Pros

• Great video quality for the price, especially with Lito X1
• Omnidirectional obstacle avoidance included
• Better battery life than the Neo 2 and Flip

Cons

• Camera doesn't rotate for 9:16 content
• Soft digital zoom
• No built-in storage on Lito 1 model

DJI Avata 360

Read our full review

Pros

• Great 10-bit image quality from dual sensor setup
• Choice of control methods
• Agile, speedy and safe flyer
• Good value for money

Cons

• Other DJI drones beat it on image quality
• Buying both FPV and standard controllers could push up the price
• No manual FPV flight option

DJI Neo 2

Read our full review

Pros

• Now has obstacle avoidance
• Improved camera performance
• More storage and faster transfer speed

Cons

• Still only shoots JPEG photos
• Limited battery life

Antigravity A1 8K 360

Read our full review

Pros

• Excellent 360-degree capture and reframing
• Slick package with impressive features
• Easier to use than you might think

Cons

• It’s expensive
• Goggles require a spotter
• Motion controller has limitations

HoverAir Aqua

Read our full review

Pros

• The only waterproof self-flying camera on the market
• Solid 4K footage in good conditions
• Turtle flip and water-surface takeoff/landing work reliably

Cons

• Lighthouse-based tracking produces inconsistent subject framing
• Hydrophobic lens doesn't always resist water
• Expensive in comparison to competitors

DJI Flip

Read our full review

Pros

• Multi-use functionality
• Several flight-control options
• Sub-250g folding design

Cons

• Image quality is good but not great
• Not as agile as the Mini 4 Pro
• Not great in wind

Potensic Atom 3

Read our full review

Pros

• Excellent feature set for the price
• Editing latitude thanks to the flat P-Log color profile for video and RAW format photos
• Huge touchscreen controller (included in pricier RC PTD 2 Fly More combo)
• Stable flight performance

Cons

• No obstacle avoidance
• Actual battery life less than expected
• DJI Lito X1 has the performance edge, especially its tracking modes
• Controller finesse for precise flight maneuvers requires lots of practice
• GPS signal issues within areas like forests can limit what flight maneuvers are possible

Zero Zero Robotics V-Copter Falcon Mini

Read our full review

Pros

• Fun to fly
• Easy to set up
• Compact and lightweight

Cons

• The camera is limited
• More of a drone for flight than photography
• Battery life not as good as advertised

Ruko U11MINI 4K

Read our full review

Pros

• Light and folds to a pocketable size
• 4K video is watchable when captured in good light

Cons

• Joystick dead zone makes smooth camera moves a struggle
• Camera routinely overexposes
• No obstacle avoidance of any kind
• No USB port makes accessing internal storage tricky

• NordVPN's Call and Message Protection toolkit is now officially available on iOS
• The provider has also launched HangUp, a standalone iOS app that blocks spam calls and is entirely free to use without a VPN subscription.
• In an exclusive to TechRadar, NordVPN explained the tools are designed to give users "a second to think" before reacting to high-pressure phishing attempts.

After a brief period of speculation sparked by a mysterious app release note, NordVPN has confirmed to TechRadar that its highly anticipated Message Protection feature is now on iOS.

Alongside bringing full SMS scam screening to its main Apple app, the provider has also launched HangUp on iOS, a free, standalone app designed to eradicate spam calls on your iPhone.

NordVPN, our current best VPN overall, has been expanding its focus beyond the VPN for months now, most notably with its Next Gen Antivirus developments which aim to tackle traditional malware attacks.

Now, these new releases squarely aim to tackle the growing epidemic of social engineering, where hackers target the user rather than the device.

The new Call and Message Protection toolkit resides on a single screen within the main NordVPN iOS app. Whether your VPN connection is actively switched on or running quietly in the background, the tools work continuously to keep your inbox and call log safe from fraudsters.

Giving you a second to think

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Phishing via text, often called "smishing", relies entirely on panic. Scammers regularly impersonate delivery companies, tax agencies, or banks, hoping you will click a malicious link in a rush. Message Protection directly combats this by acting as a digital filter for your iPhone.

The tool checks every SMS from an unknown sender against phone reputation databases, running deep URL analysis and content categorization. If a text is deemed suspicious, the app fires off a push notification detailing the specific threat type.

Crucially, the flagged message then opens in a dedicated safe view. This barrier prevents you from accidentally tapping the malicious link while reading the text. For privacy-conscious users, NordVPN guarantees it does not store the content of any calls or messages.

"A scam only works if you react before you think. They're all built to rush you, a failed payment, a parcel stuck somewhere, someone saying your account has been compromised," Domininkas Virbickas, product director at NordVPN, told TechRadar exclusively.

"We put something on the screen before that moment, a label on the call or a flag on the message. It doesn't decide for you, it just gives you a second to think. People shouldn't need to be security experts to use their own phone."

HangUp: A free weapon against robocalls

Alongside the feature launches for iOS, we also saw HangUp arrive on the platform, having launched on Android in July. While the core Call and Message Protection features are included in the main NordVPN app, HangUp is a completely standalone application.

You don't need an active VPN subscription to use it; you only need to sign up for a free Nord account. Once installed, HangUp screens incoming calls in real time, matching unknown numbers against known scam databases.

It sorts unknown callers into specific categories, such as scam, telemarketing, survey, or debt collection, so you know exactly who is ringing before you answer.

Users can even configure the app to automatically block known scams and telemarketers, meaning those fraudulent calls will never make your iPhone ring. A localized call log keeps a secure record of what was blocked and why.

"Everyone gets scam calls, so everyone should be able to see them coming," explains Virbickas. "HangUp is free because the quickest way to cut down the damage these calls do is to put a warning in front of as many people as possible."

Both tools are live right now. You can read the full technical breakdown of the new features on NordVPN's official blog.

We recently tested out the Ugreen NASync DXP8800 Ultra, and we found some striking similarities between this new NAS device and the older but no-less-excellent Plus model.

In his latest review, our expert Mark noted: "Ugreen has changed the engine, not the car. The Ultra is quicker and better equipped for the long haul, but the Plus still does almost everything it does for far less money."

So, we decided to take a look at which is the better buy for businesses. Both NAS devices support up to 272TB of storage, dual 10GbE networking, and Thunderbolt 4. The Ultra supports up to 96GB of RAM compared with 64GB on the Plus, but both offer the same maximum storage capacity and high-speed connectivity.

• Best for: Small businesses, studios, IT professionals, and creative teams needing centralized storage for large files, backups, media libraries, and multi-user access.

• The deal: The NASync DXP8800 Plus is now $1,370 (was $1,510) at Ugreen, saving you $140. The more powerful DXP8800 Ultra costs $1,780.

NASync DXP8800 Plus: was $1509.99 now $1369.99
This eight-bay NAS features an Intel Core i5-1235U processor, 8GB expandable DDR5 RAM, dual 10GbE ports, two Thunderbolt 4 connections, dual M.2 slots, 8K HDMI, and 272TB storage support.View Deal

NASync DXP8800 Ultra: $1779.99
This newer NAS features an Intel Core 7 150U processor, 8GB expandable DDR5 RAM, dual 10GbE ports, two Thunderbolt 4 connections, dual M.2 slots, 8K HDMI, and 272TB storage support.View Deal

Which NAS we recommend

In his 4-star review, of the NASync DXP8800 Ultra, Mark explained: "Is the [Ultra] outlay worth the extra over the Plus? That entirely depends on how you intend to use this NAS. For those who just want file serving, it's probably not worth it. But for someone using virtualization and hosting AI, it might be an improvement they’ll pay for."

In summing up he said: "Where the DXP8800 Plus was a bolt from the blue, the DXP8800 Ultra’s arrival seems more measured. Ugreen kept everything that worked and refreshed the part that aged fastest, that being the processor, and with that change, it increased the memory ceiling.

"So is it worth the extra money? For most buyers, sadly it probably isn’t. The Plus still gives you eight bays, two M.2 slots, dual 10GbE, dual Thunderbolt 4 and a PCIe slot. File serving, backups, media streaming and a handful of containers run happily on either. The Ultra's extra speed will rarely be the bottleneck unless you use it in specific ways."

In his 4.5-star hands-on review for the Plus model, Mark ultimately found "a monster NAS with the potential capacity and bandwidth to drive a small business. This terrific hardware shows what can be achieved by repurposing mobile silicon for NAS."

Price context & historical value

The DXP8800 Plus normally costs $1,509.99, but Ugreen has reduced it to $1,369.99, a saving of $140, or approximately 9%. The DXP8800 Ultra costs $1,779.99, making it $410 more expensive than the Plus.

Remember that these are both diskless NAS, so you'll need to budget separately for the HDDs or SSDs required to actually store your files.

Which should you buy?

✅ Buy the Ugreen DXP8800 Ultra NAS if...

You need a powerful NAS for demanding business workloads, extensive multitasking, or applications that benefit from additional memory. Its newer Intel Core 7 150U processor and support for up to 96GB of DDR5 RAM give it a speed advantage over the Plus.

✅ Buy the Ugreen DXP8800 Plus NAS if...

You want a capable eight-bay NAS without paying extra for processing power and memory expansion you might never use. It supports the same 272TB maximum storage capacity, dual 10GbE networking, and Thunderbolt 4 connectivity as the Ultra, while costing a lot less.

• Shop all NAS products at Ugreen.

• Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents can now be opened, edited and shared inside the Copilot app
• Could this be the company "figuring out what Copilot, and the future of work, should look like"?
• Microsoft describes Copilot as the "new way to work"

Microsoft is making some hefty upgrades to its Copilot app, allowing users to create, edit and collaborate on popular Office documents directly within the AI hub.

This marks a major shift for the company's AI strategy, which previously focused on adding Copilot functionality into its Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps. Instead, this reverses that decision and puts Word, Excel and PowerPoint into the Copilot app.

The Copilot app will likely become the central workspace, allowing users to interact with AI to produce documents without them then having to go off and open those documents in Office apps to make further adjustments.

Word, Excel and PowerPoint now embedded inside Copilot app

Document creation is nothing unexpected, and Copilot retains its abilities to generate new documents based on user conversations within Copilot Chat or Copilot Cowork. The biggest change is the addition of Library within the Copilot app, which puts those documents within reach inside that single interface.

Collaboration is also a big emphasis for the company, which confirmed that users will still be able to share, comment and review documents within Copilot.

"Microsoft Office has defined productivity for the PC era," Office Product Group Sumit Chauhan explained. Chauhan was named as one of the EVPs to report to Copilot, Agents and Platform EVP Charles Lamanna amid the departure of M365's previous EVP, Ryan Roslansky.

At that time, we knew that the company was "figuring out what Copilot, and the future of work, should look like as one ecosystem," and this is likely part one in a much bigger shift for M365.

"As Copilot becomes a new way to work, we're bringing familiar Office creation and collaboration experiences directly into that environment," Chauhan added, noting the push for a "more unified experience."

That new unified experience inside the Copilot app is only available to Frontier customers in Chat and Cowork, but it could only be a few months until it gets pushed onto more users.

Data center water use is under growing scrutiny and the sector’s ability to add capacity at the pace required will depend partly on how well it manages demand without placing unnecessary pressure on potable supplies.

One source being considered is produced water from oil and gas operations – particularly in the next few years, with trial projects launched, and contracts in progress. In April 2026, the US Environmental Protection Agency launched its Water Reuse Action Plan 2.0, which includes accelerating water reuse for data center cooling among its priorities.

The scale of the opportunity is considerable. According to forecasts from water intelligence provider B3 Insight, the Permian Basin was expected to produce around 22.3 million barrels of water each day on average during 2025, with approximately 16 million barrels a day going to disposal.

Where that water can be efficiently repurposed for data center cooling, there is an opportunity to put an existing industrial stream to productive use while reducing demand on potable supplies.

Making that work in practice requires infrastructure that can manage variable water quality, keep different streams separate and maintain a reliable supply, making storage a critical part of the solution.

Making produced water work

Produced water can vary considerably between sources. It may be brackish, highly saline, or it may contain minerals and other substances that need to be considered when the tank and sealant are specified.

The storage system therefore needs to be designed around the water that will actually arrive on site. Data centers can already require separate storage for brine, pre-treated water, treated industrial water, clarified water, filtered water, clean water and fire protection. Produced water would add another duty to a system that may already contain several different water streams, each requiring its own capacity and operating conditions.

Those differences should guide the material selection to protect against corrosion and extend the working life of the tank. Fusion-bonded epoxy can be well suited to produced water and other industrial water duties, combining corrosion resistance with a robust finish that stands up well during transport and installation. Glass-fused-to-steel may also be suitable in some cases, while galvanized and sectional glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) tanks have established roles elsewhere on the site.

Specify quality early

These decisions are easier to make when the tank manufacturer is involved early. Space needs to be considered alongside material selection because the available footprint can change the type of tank that works best - for example, a cylindrical tank may suit an external compound, while a sectional or shaped tank can be more practical in a basement.

Temperature also needs to be considered. As discussed earlier, produced water from the Permian Basin is one potential source for data center cooling, and the Permian is a region where summer temperatures can become extremely high. That makes the tank’s location, exposure and material important. The design also needs to leave sufficient room for pipework and future access. Placing the required storage volume into whatever space remains is not the same as providing a tank installation that can be built and maintained properly.

These decisions need to be made before the package reaches tender - once a tank type and material have been written into the specification, there is often very little room to change them. We have seen that first-hand on data center projects dating back to around 2010, covering clean water, fire protection, brine, effluent and treated industrial water, where the right questions are far easier to address before the design is fixed.

Build for the operating life

Data centers are expected to remain in service for decades, so their supporting water infrastructure should be considered over the same period rather than judged on purchase price alone. Industrial epoxy and glass-fused-to-steel tanks can be designed for operating lives of around 35 to 45 years, depending on the application and maintenance. Some lined or plastic systems may require more substantial work much earlier, which means that getting the specification wrong can leave the operator facing repair and disruption long before the data center itself reaches the end of its life.

The better measure is therefore the lifetime cost of the system, including maintenance and the practicalities of taking a tank offline. The specification should also allow for changes in the produced water or future expansion of the site rather than being based only on opening-day conditions.

Carrying the specification through delivery

A good specification still has to survive procurement and construction, which can be challenging on projects where programs are tight and responsibility passes through several organizations before the finished system reaches the operator.

Data center operators place considerable emphasis on documentation, with detailed records expected to show that the materials and installation match what was approved. In Balmoral’s experience, the level of scrutiny can be similar to that found in oil and gas, particularly where the infrastructure supports cooling or fire protection.

Manufacturers and installation partners therefore need the technical ability to supply the tank, together with the organizational and financial capacity to meet the program and carry the original specification through to the finished installation.

Local manufacturing can reduce transport complexity, particularly in fast-growing markets such as the US, while experienced regional partners can support installation and help ensure that the system is delivered as designed.

A practical role for produced water

Produced water could become a useful addition to the data center sector’s wider water strategy where the source and the facility are close enough for the model to work. The resource is available at scale and policy is moving towards greater reuse, but turning that opportunity into working infrastructure depends on decisions made early in the project.

The water needs to be understood and each storage duty clearly defined, with the tank selected around the conditions on site. Get those decisions right and produced water can become a practical cooling resource supported by storage infrastructure designed to serve the data center for decades.

Looking for the best cloud storage? These are my top picks

This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.

The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit

Apple iPhone 18 Pro

The iPhone 18 Pro is one of Apple's most feature-packed phones, with an upgraded triple-lens camera, a high-capacity battery, an A20 Pro chipset, and a great screen. It's quite a bulky customer, though.

Pros

• Versatile cameras
• Great battery life
• Top-end power

Cons

• Costs more than the Air
• Heavier and thicker
• Less stylish

Apple iPhone Air

The iPhone Air is the most stylish iPhone yet, but its slim and lightweight design does bring meaningful compromises in the battery life and camera departments.

Pros

• Slim and light
• Very stylish
• High-quality screen

Cons

• Only one rear camera
• Low battery capacity
• Can get hot during prolonged gaming sessions

If you were to arrange Apple's current crop of iPhones in terms of price, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Air would sit squarely in the middle of the pack. They're more expensive than the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e, but cheaper than the iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Duo.

Generally speaking, these two devices are for people who want something special from their phones, but don’t quite want to spend top-end money — or simply don’t want the massive (or foldable) screens that Apple’s priciest handsets come with.

But the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Air are also quite different in a lot of ways. One delivers pro-level features and market-leading camera performance; the other offers a comfortable and stylish design. So which should you choose?

Below, we've detailed the key differences between the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Air to help you figure out which device is best for you.

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone Air: specs comparison

The table below gives you a brief overview of these two handsets; then, under that, we’ll look more closely at what makes them tick.

iPhone 18 Pro

iPhone Air

Dimensions:

150 x 71.9 x 8.8mm

156.2 x 74.7 x 5.6mm

Weight:

211g

165g

Display:

6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED

6.5-inch Super Retina XDR OLED

Refresh rate:

1Hz–120Hz

1Hz–120Hz

Peak brightness:

3,000 nits

3,000 nits

Chipset:

A20 Pro

A19 Pro

RAM:

12GB

12GB

Rear cameras:

48MP main, 48MP ultra-wide, 48MP telephoto

48MP main

Front camera:

18MP

18MP

Battery:

4,288mAh (eSIM-only) / 4,056mAh (physical SIM)

3,149mAh

Charging:

50% in 15 minutes

50% in 30 minutes

Storage:

256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB

256GB / 512GB / 1TB

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone Air: price and availabilityThe iPhone 18 ProFuture/Jacob KrolThe iPhone AirJacob Krol/Future

The iPhone 18 Pro launched in September 2026, and it’s available globally. It starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,099, for which you’ll get a model with 256GB of storage. 512GB will set you back $1,399 / £1,399 / AU$2,499, 1TB costs $1,799 / £1,799 / AU$3,299, and a 2TB model is $2,399 / £2,399 / AU$4,499.

The iPhone Air launched back in September 2025, so it’s a year older but doesn’t yet have a successor. It too is widely available, and it costs $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,899 for 256GB of storage, $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,299 for 512GB, and $1,699 / £1,699 / AU$3,099 for 1TB — there's no 2TB variant of the iPhone Air.

So, the starting price of the iPhone 18 Pro is $100 / £100 / AU$200 higher than that of the Air, and that difference is consistent for each configuration. Importantly, though, the Air is often on sale, so you're unlikely to need to pay full price.

It's worth noting, too, that the iPhone Air was actually priced at $999 / £999 / AU$1,799 at launch, but Apple increased its price following the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro in September, just as it raised the price of iPads and MacBooks in June due to "significantly higher memory costs."

iPhone 18 Pro pricing

Storage

US price

UK price

AU price

256GB

$1,199

£1,199

AU$2,099

512GB

$1,399

£1,399

AU$2,499

1TB

$1,799

£1,799

AU$3,299

2TB

$2,399

£2,399

AU$4,499

iPhone Air pricing

Storage

US price

UK price

AU price

256GB

$1,099

£1,099

AU$1,899

512GB

$1,299

£1,299

AU$2,299

1TB

$1,699

£1,699

AU$3,099

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone Air: designThe iPhone 18 ProFuture/Jacob KrolThe iPhone AirJacob Krol/Future

Notwithstanding their display size differences (more on that below), the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Air look similar from the front, offering flat screens, minimal bezels, and Dynamic Island cut-outs at the top of their respective displays.

The Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro is actually a touch smaller than the Air's, and it can display three Live Activities simultaneously instead of two, but this isn't a particularly consequential difference.

From the back, there are more visible differences between the two phones. The iPhone Air is made from a single slab of glass surrounded by a titanium frame, while the iPhone 18 Pro has a glass panel surrounded by an aluminum frame.

Their respective camera layouts are different too, with the iPhone 18 Pro having a much larger triple-lens block compared to the iPhone Air’s slimmer, single-lens camera island.

The iPhone 18 Pro (left) and iPhone Air (right) (Image credit: Future)

But the biggest design differences come in the two phones' dimensions and weights. The iPhone 18 Pro measures 150 x 71.9 x 8.8mm and weighs 211g, while the iPhone Air measures 156.2 x 74.7 x 5.6mm and weighs 165g.

Those are substantial differences — the iPhone Air is far slimmer and lighter than the iPhone 18 Pro, which is, of course, the whole point of the phone. It feels much more comfortable to hold in the hand and carry around in your pocket, despite being taller and wider.

Having a thin and lightweight phone might not matter all that much to you, in which case you probably won't care for the iPhone Air's design. But I'd urge you to at least hold Apple's super-slim iPhone in your hand before disregarding it — it genuinely is a lovely device to use day-to-day, and TechRadar's Phones Editor, Axel Metz, was surprised by how much he came to appreciate the Air's design in testing.

The iPhone 18 Pro is, of course, still an attractive and well-designed phone, but it's significantly bulkier and doesn't excite in the same way as the Air — at least on the design front.

For colors, the iPhone 18 Pro comes in Black, Silver, Glacier, and Burgundy, while the iPhone Air is sold in Space Black, Cloud White, Light Gold, and Sky Blue. So there are some differences there too.

Both phones, though, are similarly durable, offering Ceramic Shield 2 protection on the front and Ceramic Shield on the back, along with IP68 water and dust resistance.

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone Air: displayThe iPhone 18 ProFuture/Jacob KrolThe iPhone AirJacob Krol/Future

The iPhone 18 Pro has a 6.3-inch 1206 x 2622 Super Retina XDR OLED screen with around 460 pixels per inch, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.

On the iPhone Air, you’re getting a 6.5-inch 1260 x 2736 Super Retina XDR OLED display with roughly 460 pixels per inch, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.

So the specs here are almost identical, with the main difference just being that the iPhone Air has a slightly larger display — though as noted earlier, the iPhone 18 Pro does have a smaller Dynamic Island.

Our reviews described both screens as “punchy, sharp, and smooth,” so there’s really very little to choose here. Do you prefer a bigger display, or a more compact one?

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone Air: camerasThe iPhone 18 ProFuture/Jacob KrolThe iPhone AirJacob Krol/Future

There’s a clear winner when it comes to cameras and, unsurprisingly, it’s the iPhone 18 Pro: this device has three lenses on the back — a 48MP variable aperture main camera, a 48MP ultra-wide with a 120-degree field of view, and a 48MP telephoto with 4x optical zoom and 8x ‘optical-quality’ zoom, achieved through a sensor crop.

The iPhone Air, meanwhile, just has a single 48MP wide camera with a static f/1.6 aperture. In other words, you have far less photographic versatility with this phone, which you'll notice when filming at concerts, sports games, or basically anywhere that might have you attempting to capture a subject from far away.

That's not to say the iPhone Air is a bad camera phone — its 48MP wide camera is the same as the 18 Pro's, minus the latter's variable aperture feature (which lets you tweak how much light gets into the lens). If you use your phone's main lens for 90% of shots, you may not notice the Air's lack of versatility.

But the iPhone 18 Pro is indisputably one of the best camera phones you can buy, while the iPhone Air falls into the 'good but not great' category.

Still, the Air does at least match the iPhone 18 Pro’s selfie camera, with both devices sporting an 18MP front-facing sensor. Both can also record 1080p video at up to 240fps, though the Pro can additionally record 4K footage at up to 120fps, while the iPhone Air tops out at 60fps.

In our iPhone 18 Pro review, we described its cameras as delivering “better detail, strong low-light performance, and excellent 4x and 8x zoom.” Of the iPhone Air, we said it “delivers sharp, natural photos and impressive portraits, but lacks the versatility found on other models.”

iPhone 18 Pro camera samplesJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureiPhone Air camera samplesJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureJacob Krol/FutureiPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone Air: performance and softwareThe iPhone 18 ProFuture/Jacob KrolThe iPhone AirJacob Krol/Future

As for power, you'll technically get better performance from the iPhone 18 Pro, with Apple's newer phone boasting — surprise! — a newer A20 Pro chipset than the iPhone Air's A19 Pro chipset.

Still, you're not likely to notice this power difference unless you plan on using your phone for heavy video editing or prolonged gaming. Both the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Air feature 12GB of RAM, so their multitasking capabilities are comparable, while scrolling, streaming, and browsing won't present a challenge to either device.

Our iPhone 18 Pro review called Apple's newer phone “fast, efficient, and ready for whatever comes next”, and we said the iPhone Air was “fast and smooth in daily use, though it can warm up under sustained heavy gaming.”

There’s even less difference between the two phones when it comes to software, as both run iOS 27. Their shared 12GB RAM capacity also means both phones get the full version of Siri AI, which includes expressive voices and advanced dictation.

However, since the iPhone Air shipped with iOS 26 at launch and is a slightly older phone, it’s possible that it won’t be updated for quite as long as the iPhone 18 Pro (read: you'll probably get six more years of updates, instead of seven).

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone Air: batteryThe iPhone 18 ProFuture/Jacob KrolThe iPhone AirJacob Krol/Future

You probably wouldn’t expect a massive battery in a phone as slim as the iPhone Air, and you’d be right not to: the Air has a dinky 3,149mAh cell, which is dwarfed by the iPhone 18 Pro's 4,288mAh one (you'll get a slightly smaller 4,056mAh battery if your iPhone 18 Pro features a physical SIM tray).

In practice, Apple claims the iPhone 18 Pro can make it through 34 hours of video playback, while it lists just 27 hours for the iPhone Air. Those figures proved accurate in our testing, and the gap between the two phones is similar for real-world use — you'll get around a day-and-a-half of life from the 18 Pro, and no more than a day for the Air.

The iPhone 18 Pro also charges faster, with Apple claiming it can reach 50% in around 15 minutes, while the iPhone Air takes twice as long — though with wireless charging, both phones can supposedly charge to 50% in 30 minutes.

In our iPhone 18 Pro review, we praised its “outstanding endurance,” while in our iPhone Air review, we said it “should last a workday, but heavy users will need to recharge.” We've used both phones extensively, and haven't found the iPhone Air's one-day battery life to be a dealbreaker — but those who don't charge their phone every night may be caught short by its lack of endurance.

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone Air: verdict

The iPhone 18 Pro (left) and iPhone Air (right) (Image credit: Future (edited with Gemini))

If you go simply by our review scores, the iPhone 18 Pro is the better phone, achieving five stars to the iPhone Air's four. And looking at the specs, it’s clear why — the iPhone 18 Pro has better battery life, more power, and more cameras, so it’s clearly the more capable device.

However, there’s little to choose between the two phones' screens, other than the size — with the iPhone Air’s being bigger. And they run the same software too, on top of which the iPhone Air is slightly cheaper (especially if you can pick it up at a discount).

But the real reason you might want the Air is its design — it's far slimmer and lighter than the iPhone 18 Pro, which makes a difference in your hand and pocket, and also makes it the more stylish device. Whether that makes up for its relative shortcomings elsewhere will be a personal choice.

• Fitbit users are being forced to switch to the Google Health app
• The changeover process started months ago
• The switch has not been mandatory until now, and users aren’t happy

It’s been a few months since Google started encouraging Fitbit users to switch over to the company’s Google Health app, but the move has never been completely mandatory. That’s all changed now, though, as Fitbit fans are finding themselves forced onto Google’s platform — and many are deeply unhappy about the move.

As documented by users on social media, opening the Fitbit app now serves up a new prompt that reads: 'A newer Fitbit app is available. Updating is recommended.' The word “recommended” is doing a lot of heavy lifting there, as the only button available is one that says 'Update', and it’s impossible to tap away from the notification to make it disappear. In other words, this is a forced update for the last die-hards who are still using the deprecated Fitbit app.

When it became apparent that Google was compelling the last Fitbit users to jump over to its Google Health app, many took to social media to complain. “I hate the new Google Health app,” wrote one, before adding: “I routinely swiped back to view my workout and sleep data from previous days and that ability is now gone … I’m a Premium member so I’m paying for this new garbage.”

“Google health app is so baaad. I also want my Fitbit app back,” lamented another. When asked what made the Fitbit app so good, another said: “It was elite. The food tracking was next level. It always detected when I was getting sick with my HRV and all that. Tracked my sleep to a tee … I fear I’ll never have this kind of tracking again.”

A forced app migration

(Image credit: Guilty-Implement-261 on Reddit)

The Google Health app does not have a particularly strong reputation, in part thanks to its unreliable AI assistant. Users have documented it hallucinating phantom workouts, inventing food-tracking metrics, and much more. The situation got so bad that Google added a way for users to disable the app’s AI assistant altogether.

It’s this unreliability that could be behind a lot of the reluctance among Fitbit users to switch to Google Health. With something as important as your health and wellbeing, after all, you want to know that the advice an app is giving you is accurate and well-founded.

Another issue centers on tools that many people feel are missing from Google Health. It’s something brought up by several people on social media, who noted that features like estimated health for your age and a simple and intuitive layout are absent in Google Health. “None of the features I liked from Fitbit’s app are left,” bemoaned one person.

If you’re one of the last remaining holdouts still rocking the Fitbit app, you’ll have to switch to Google Health imminently. If Google’s app isn’t to your taste, there are alternatives — but perhaps none quite like Fitbit’s discontinued offering. Let us know what you think about Google's latest move in the comments below.

• IDC's latest figures show that PC shipments are down 20% year-on-year
• TrendForce predicts that next year is going to see further drops in PC sales and possible price hikes, which aligns with IDC's thinking
• If you're looking for a laptop, it might be a good idea to pull the trigger sooner rather than later – maybe during Black Friday

PC shipments have plunged dramatically, with analyst firms predicting that the sales of computers and laptops are set to slump next year as well.

PC Gamer noticed that IDC Research has a new report for Q3 of 2026 showing that global PC shipments are down 20.1% compared to the same quarter last year, dropping from 78.5 million units to 62.7 million.

The reason why is obvious: it's due to the RAM crisis and rising prices across a range of PC components (not just memory).

Another analyst firm, TrendForce, also produced a report (flagged by Wccftech) observing that the rising cost of those components threatens to weaken the demand for notebooks in 2027.

TrendForce claims that: "Global notebook shipments are currently projected to decline by a low-single-digit percentage in 2027."

However, the firm cautions that if RAM and CPU prices stay high (which seems almost inevitable), notebook makers "may be forced to pass more of these costs on to consumers", with high retail prices meaning fewer consumers buy new laptops – potentially pushing the drop in notebook sales to high single digits.

So, we could be looking at a near 10% drop in laptop sales next year, on top of an already gloomy picture and flagging sales for PCs as seen currently.

Analysis: act now or dig in for a lengthy wait

(Image credit: Nikola Paunov / Getty)

Both IDC and TrendForce observe that part of the problem for 2026 is that those looking at buying a new laptop purchased earlier in the year – due to the (very real) fear of price hikes coming in – meaning there are fewer sales now than there would normally have been. This is why there was a much sharper fall in Q3 compared to IDC's report for Q2 (although PC shipments were still down 3.8% year-on-year in that previous quarter).

Laptop makers are also running thin on components they purchased at lower prices (in anticipation of hikes, just like consumers), and so they are going to face worsening pressures on their profits margins due to rising RAM, storage and CPU costs. (TrendForce doesn't mention GPUs, but these will be a factor for some notebooks, notably gaming laptops, too). If they don't raise prices, laptop manufacturers will be forced to cut corners with specs.

TrendForce pulls out an interesting stat on the current state of play with the cost of building a laptop these days, namely that in a typical mid-to-upper-range ($900) notebook, 68% of the bill of materials (cost of the raw components) is taken up by the CPU, RAM and SSD. In other words, those core components now comprise two-thirds of the cost of the laptop.

IDC also predicts gloom for next year, or certainly the first half of 2027 anyway, noting that: "[PC] prices will remain elevated. With macro conditions worsening, the risk is that the outlook for the next few quarters gets worse before it gets better."

The only brighter spot here is that IDC says that with retailers worrying about "carrying too much inventory into a market where high prices are suppressing demand", we may see "promotions and some short-term relief for consumers" – meaning some possibly tempting Black Friday deals. Although the analyst firm makes it clear that pricing won't be "anywhere near what it was a year ago."

There will likely be some bargains to be had – we've seen some recently with Prime Day, and elsewhere for that matter – and if you are in the market for a laptop, it's looking like the smart move is to act on a decent deal if you see one for the type of notebook you're after.

Almost every prediction about the RAM crisis these days is negative, with a steadily growing weight of pessimistic sentiment, so unless a lot of analysts and industry pundits or insiders have got things very wrong, it's not a good idea to be waiting until next year to buy new hardware. Grab it now or hold out for the longer-term seems to be the right approach, certainly for laptops or PCs, and I'd say graphics cards, too.

• Citroen is targeting some of the cheapest EVs on sale with its revived 2 CV
• The small electric car borrows some of the original’s much-loved features
• European brands are leaning heavily into their back catalogues in a bid to fend off Chinese rivals

Loved by French farmers, who transported eggs across rutted fields without incident during the 1940s, and adored by large swathes of the European car-buying public for its no-frills approach to multi-tasking motoring, the Citroen 2 CV now enjoys almost cult status among classic car enthusiasts.

Like Renault’s recent resurrection of both the Renault 5 and more blue-collared Renault 4, Citroen hopes it can tap into the trend for automotive nostalgia with an incredibly cheap EV that’s capable of wearing multiple motoring hats.

Citroen’s CEO Xavier Chardon stated that the company hopes to sell a production version of its visually arresting concept for around $15,000 when it reaches dealers in 2028, which would work out to roughly £13,500, making the 2 CV potentially the UK and Europe’s cheapest electric vehicle.

To do this, the French firm is developing an all-new electric car platform that it hopes a number of small models will eventually sit on, reducing production costs and enabling it to pass on those savings to the consumer.

@flatoutmagazine

The new Citroen 2CV unveiled at the Paris Motor Show 2026. A homage to the original but Citroen plans to sell this for around €15,000 (£13,500) when it goes on sale in 2028.

♬ original sound - Dj "S"

There is no word on what will power the electric 2 CV, although we can assume it will be in a similar battery ballpark to Renault’s latest Twingo, which uses a diminutive 28kWh LFP pack for a 157-mile range.

However, Chardon revealed that its engineers are busy shaving kilos off its current crop of electric cars, with the goal of selling an electric 2 CV that weighs "less than a tonne". That would make it lighter than any electric car currently on sale, and could drastically increase its range.

What’s more, the company is bucking the trend for creeping footprints, as the modern 2 CV is actually shorter than its predecessor, at just 3.76m in length.

Analysis: better in the fleshCitroenCitroenCitroenCitroenCitroenCitroen

While the 2 CV is still just a concept for now, there are some clever design elements that make the interior look and feel much larger than it actually is.

There’s no traditional dashboard, for a start, while both the front and back seats look more like a garden bench than something you’d find inside a vehicle.

A removable wicker storage basket at the front is probably the most French thing since Renault offered a baguette holder in the R5.

Rather than the traditional bulky infotainment setup, Citroen designers have opted for what they call an 8-inch square ‘phygital’ touchscreen, which looks like an ereader and features graphics inspired by comic books.

There's also a very simple gear-shift lever that almost floats on a large cylinder mounted to the steering wheel, as well as an old-school detachable radio that's situated in front of the front passenger that doubles as a Bluetooth speaker for picnics.

(Image credit: Citroen)

Look closer around the concept and you’ll find myriad easter eggs and nods to the original, such as pedals that feature a rabbit (or maybe it's a hare) and a tortoise to distinguish the accelerator from the brake, door-storage compartments that are designed to hold eggs, and the sound of the digital horn, which is a direct copy of the original 2 CV.

The enormous fabric sunroof, which practically turns the 2 CV into a convertible, is a direct link to the past, while the solid metal bumpers at the front and rear are designed to protect against the typical Parisian 'touch parking' technique. It's both fantastically retro and forward-thinking at the same time.

In all honesty, I wasn’t convinced when I first saw it in the press images, writing it off as a bit too much of a novelty, with not enough retro cool to make it hit home like Renault’s recent offerings; but I changed my mind when I saw it in the flesh.

Citroen has also developed a 2 CV Fourgonnette van concept (Image credit: Citroen)

It’s cute, it's hugely practical, and the interior is a masterpiece in simplicity. It is unmistakably a 2 CV, but also has hints of the original VW Beetle, and even Renault’s more recent Twingo about it.

Citroen says this concept is close to production in terms of design, adding that it's also considering a small commercial vehicle variant, illustrated by the 2 CV Fourgonnette (above) concept that accompanied by this reveal.

Only time will tell if it will be as successful as the Renault 5 reboot; but the price is fiercely competitive — and riffing on heritage is something Chinese rivals simply can't mimic.

What do you think of Citroen's 2 CV concept? Will you be putting your name down for one? Let us know in the comments below.