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Austrian Audio The Arranger: Two-minute review

The Arranger by Austrian Audio are an attempt to at least begin to fill the gap that exists between the company’s highest-end headphones and its wildly successful entry-level stuff. In case that isn’t a big enough ask by itself, Austrian Audio wants this new gap-filler to be just as convincing as a pro monitoring tool as they are a domestic pair of headphones.

So the brand has come up with a light, comfortable and slightly oddly colored pair of (semi) open-backed headphones that are easy to drive, fold smaller than the norm and are fitted with mildly exotic DLC-coated dynamic drivers that deliver a prodigious 5Hz - 30kHz frequency response. About the only misstep (apart from the finish) is the lack of a balanced cable option — or, more accurately, the lack of a no-cost balanced cable option.

When it comes to performance, though, complaints like this become irrelevant. Without sacrificing anything where detail retrieval, organization or soundstaging are concerned, Austrian Audio has served up a pair of energetic, entertaining and thoroughly engaging headphones that are just as happy to deliver the excitement of a recording as they are to peer deep into the mix and examine it on a microscopic level. As a combination of analysis and enjoyment, The Arranger are very hard to lay a glove on.

Which is not to say they have the field clear, of course. Similarly specified, similarly priced products from brands with similarly credible reputations are, naturally, available among the best wired headphones — and when you’re talking about companies like Beyerdynamic and Meze Audio, you know the alternatives to The Arranger are going to be compelling.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)Austrian Audio The Arranger review: Price & release date

• Released June 2026
• Priced $1,299 / £899 / AU$1,899

The Arranger by Austrian Audio are on sale now, and in the United States they sell for $1,299 per pair. They’re £899 in the United Kingdom, and AU$1,899 in Australia. They're intended to fill a gap, but it means they come up against some pretty stiff competition, too.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)Austrian Audio The Arranger review: Specs

Type

Wired, over-ear, semi-open back headphones

Drivers

44mm DLC-coated dynamic

Weight

320g (without cable)

Cable length

3m

Impedence

25ohms

Sensitivity

110dB

Frequency response

5Hz - 30kHz frequency response

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)Austrian Audio The Arranger review: Features

• 44mm DLC-coated dynamic drivers
• 3m cable with 3.5mm/6.3mm termination
• 25ohms impedance, 110dB sensitivity

Passive, hard-wired headphones are seldom groaning under the weight of all their features, and The Arranger are not in any way unusual. The feature-count is short but in this instance, at least, the few features here are all entirely fit for purpose.

The Austrian Audio are supplied with a 3m length of quite sturdily rubberized cable. It fits using the ‘click and turn’ method into the left ear cup, and at the other end there’s a 3.5mm termination that will happily accept the 6.3mm adapter that’s supplied. A 2m 4.4mm balanced cable and a 3m cable with an XLR termination are both available and, rather annoyingly, both will cost you additional money.

The information that travels along the cable is delivered to a couple of 44mm dynamic drivers. They have a diamond-like carbon coating on the diaphragm and also feature a proprietary ring magnet — the aim is superior impulse response, super-low distortion and significant bass extension. Austrian Audio suggests frequency response is 5Hz - 30kHz, which would seem to make ‘significant bass extension’ something of an understatement.

The Arranger are very forgiving headphones — impedance of 25ohms and 110dB sensitivity means they’re not even remotely difficult to drive. A dedicated headphone amp is always a good idea, of course, but even the 3.5mm socket on your laptop should have sufficient oomph to get the Austrian Audio up to speed.

• Features score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)Austrian Audio The Arranger review: Sound quality

• Significant low-frequency substance and variation
• Open, organized and detailed sound
• Tremendous powers of analysis

Austrian Audio, it turns out, was not just talking. The Arranger really do function almost as well as a pair of monitors as they do when asked to simply entertain. In either circumstance, this is a very accomplished pair of headphones.

The (almost) open-backed arrangement means the presentation is spacious and airy, and the soundstage the headphones present is quite expansive, but not at the cost of unity or singularity. Despite being able to open up a recording like Natural Magic’s Galaxy Builder to the point that its constituent parts are individualized and easy to inspect, there’s a togetherness to the way The Arranger present the recording that makes it sound like a performance rather than simply a collection of discrete occurrences.

It helps that frequency response is nice and even, from the deep and almost extravagantly varied low end to the bright, substantial top end. The midrange projects well without forcing the overall response into any kind of ‘V’ shape, and the lack of coloration to the tonality allows every point of the frequency range to sound natural and unforced. Detail levels are high at every stage, and the amount of insight the Austrian Audio have into even quite complex recordings is never less than fully impressive.

As well as body and insight at the bottom end, there’s also unarguable control. The Arranger take a lot of care in expressing the attack and decay of individual bass events, and consequently have no problem in describing rhythms with absolute conviction. This sense of confidence and positivity is, in fact, apparent throughout the frequency range.

As well as being alert to the finest, most transient details that both build a complete picture of a recording and allow an engineer to understand a recording on a sort of ‘building block’ level, The Arranger are more than willing to handle the broader dynamics of changes in volume, intensity and attack. The distance they’re able to put between the quietest and most contemplative passages in a recording and the final all-out crescendo is significant.

It’s by no means an easy trick to entertain with the vigorous and engaging nature of your sound while simultaneously serving as a forensic tool of insight and analysis — it’s so difficult, in fact, that most headphone manufacturers don’t even bother trying. But it’s a trick Austrian Audio manages to pull off with something very much like aplomb.

• Sound quality score: 5 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)Austrian Audio The Arranger review: Design

• (Semi-) open-backed configuration
• 320g without cable
• Just one, rather single-minded, option for finish

In many meaningful ways, the design of The Arranger is wholly successful. This is, at 320g without the length of cable attached, a light and comfortable pair of headphones, and thanks to come judicious choices where hanger arrangement, clamping force and padding of the contact points are concerned, it’s a pair of headphones that stays comfortable for hours on end.

The inside of the headband and the ear cups are of medium-density memory foam with a faux-suede covering. It’s soft, and it resists returning your own body heat longer after some alternative designs have started to warm your ears. Some sturdy articulation in the yokes means not only will the ear cups fold flat, but the frame folds in on itself too. This makes The Arranger much more compact in transit, and a far better proposition where portability is concerned.

To my eyes, though, there’s something quite inelegant and rather rustic about the width of the headband and the point where the headband chunkily meets the ear cups. The one available finish — a combination of black, something that thinks it’s gold and something that is unarguably beige — doesn’t exactly shout ‘premium product!’ either. The slats on the ear cups that result in the Austrian Audio being a quasi-open-backed design are a little more successful but, again, the color isn’t helping the headphones look as expensive as they actually are.

There’s absolutely no arguing with the standard of build and finish on display here but, then again, this is no more than you’re entitled to expect when paying over $1,000 for some headphones. The problem for The Arranger, I think, is about perceived value — and it comes up slightly short.

• Design score: 4 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)Austrian Audio The Arranger review: Value

• Headphones for every occasion
• Light, comfortable and easy to wear…
• …although not quite as easy to look at

No, $1,299 / £899 / AU$1,899 is not an insignificant sum for a pair of headphones, even a pair from a company with the track record of Austrian Audio.

But when you consider their potency as a tool of analysis, factor in their energetic and enthusiastic attitude when you’re simply listening for pleasure, and then add in the build quality and the comfort that’s a by-product, they become pretty difficult to argue with on a value-for-money basis.

One or two options where finish is concerned wouldn’t go amiss, mind you — in fact, they might help The Arranger to become an even easier sell.

• Value score: 4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)Should I buy the Austrian Audio The Arranger?

Section

Notes

Score

Features

Entirely fit for purpose; 44mm DLC-coated dynamic drivers, with 25ohms impedance, 110dB sensitivity

5 / 5

Sound quality

Open, organized and detailed, with tremendous powers of analysis

5 / 5

Design

Ear cups fold flat for compact transit; very comfortable; but the finish is a little inelegant

4 / 5

Value

Value for the not insignificant money, but 4.4mm or XLR connection cable would be nice

4.5 / 5

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)Buy them if...

You listen for long periods
The light weight and all-around comfort of The Arranger make them the perfect headphones for longer listening sessions.

You need an all-rounder
The Arranger are just as happy to examine the minutiae of a mix as they are to entertain you with the whole-hearted approach to music.

You need a degree of portability
Thanks to a clever yoke arrangement and some reassuringly sturdy hinges, The Arranger fold far smaller than the majority of their price-comparable rivals.

Don't buy them if...

You feel you’ve spent enough
You’d have thought a balanced cable was a no-brainer for headphones costing this much money, but you’ll have to fork out for a 4.4mm or XLR connection here.

You’re after a premium look
Your money has almost all gone on the sound The Arranger make, which is fair enough, but some people will think $1,299 should buy a premium feel too.

You don’t get on with beige
It’s a strange choice of finish, no two ways about it — and it gets even stranger when you realize it’s your only option.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)Austrian Audio The Arranger review: Also consider

Meze Audio Strada
These closed-back headphones sound admirably un-closed — if you have a larger-than-average head, and like the color green, then you can't go far wrong.
Read our Meze Audio Strada review for more

Grado Signature S750
Yes, you'll need deep pockets in you're going to go down this $1,695 / £1,695 (about AU$3,400) route, but the Grado will reward you in spades. The delightfully brutalist handmade open-back construction stands out, along with an exceptional soundstage and excellent clarity.
See our in-depth Grado Signature S750 review for more

How I tested the Austrian Audio The Arranger

• Connected to a FiiO M15S DAP
• Connected to a full-size system via Eversolo DAC-Z10 pre-amp
• Using music from many formats and of many styles

The FiiO digital audio player features lots of hi-res FLAC and DSD files, and lots of different styles and genres of music within those digital files. The Eversolo DAC-Z10, meanwhile, is the preamplifier for an Arcan ST25 network streamer, a Technics SL-1300G turntable and a Rega Apollo CD player.

Which means that content from internet radio stations, vinyl and compact disc are all available too - which, by extension, means The Arranger by Austrian Audio got about as thorough a work-out as a pair of headphones at this sort of money demands.

(Image credit: Future / Simon Lucas)

• First reviewed: July 2026
• Read more about how we test

Populist British MP Nigel Farage resigned from Parliament over questions about his finances, and is running for re-election in his constituency. His biggest rival? Count Binface.

(Image credit: BENJAMIN CREMEL/AFP via Getty Images)

In some towns in India, a visitor to the post office who's squinting at fine print might be asked: Do you want an eye test?

(Image credit: Subhamoy Bhattacharjee for NPR)

• Ukrainians reportedly manipulate Russian fuel maps through coordinated online participation
• Over a million users visit the website behind the fuel map campaign
• Digital platforms become another battlefield during ongoing geopolitical conflicts worldwide

A coordinated online campaign has reportedly encouraged users to alter fuel station information on digital maps across Russia, creating confusion among drivers.

The activity involves changing station statuses by marking locations with available fuel as empty or showing closed stations as operational.

Supporters of the campaign claim the effort is designed to disrupt travel decisions, increase uncertainty, and create additional pressure around fuel availability.

Map manipulation campaign spreads through online communities

The campaign reportedly centres around a website known as "GdeBenz," which has attracted more than one million visitors since its launch.

Participants are encouraged to use VPN services while accessing mapping platforms, allowing them to contribute altered information from outside locations.

Some users have reportedly relied on free VPN services to access the campaign tools and participate without revealing their actual network locations.

The changes reportedly affect fuel station details seen by drivers relying on online navigation tools when searching for available supplies.

Some participants have shared instructions through social media platforms, encouraging others to join the activity and modify fuel station information in different Russian cities.

The campaign has been described by supporters as an online operation aimed at creating confusion rather than directly affecting fuel infrastructure itself.

Reports surrounding the activity have not independently verified the full scale of the disruptions or confirmed how many fuel stations were affected by altered map information.

However, the campaign shows how digital platforms can become another area of competition during ongoing geopolitical tensions, where information accuracy can influence everyday decisions.

Digital disruption creates uncertainty around fuel searches

The reported campaign relies on crowd participation rather than technical attacks against fuel companies or mapping providers, making it different from conventional cyber operations.

By changing publicly visible location data, participants attempt to influence how drivers interpret fuel availability before travelling to specific stations.

Such changes could potentially cause unnecessary journeys, increased fuel consumption, longer queues, and frustration among motorists if users encounter inaccurate information.

The activity has also drawn attention to how Russia VPN searches and related privacy tools can become part of wider online campaigns where participants attempt to bypass regional restrictions or conceal their locations.

Supporters have celebrated the effort as an example of collective online action, while independent assessments of its practical impact remain limited.

Whether altered map information can create significant disruption over time depends on how quickly platforms detect inaccurate updates and restore correct information.

The incident also shows how digital services used for routine tasks can become vulnerable to manipulation when large groups coordinate around a shared objective.

Via Alex Bond on X

Samsung has officially confirmed that the Galaxy Ring 2 is in development. Dr. Hon Pak, Senior Vice President and Head of Samsung’s Digital Health Team, recently told Forbes that the company is “working on the next generation” of its smart ring.

Beyond confirming that a successor ring is on the way, Pak offered only a few hints about what we might expect. But the smart ring market looks different than it did when the original Galaxy Ring launched in 2024.

Competition is growing rapidly, with new smart rings appearing almost every month. While many still struggle to match the devices in our best smart rings guide, the bar has been raised considerably. The original Samsung Galaxy Ring remains our top overall pick, while the newly launched Oura Ring 5 is one of its strongest rivals.

I’ve tested many of the latest smart rings, and if Samsung wants its next ring to remain at the top, these are the upgrades I’d most like to see.

1. Resist the temptation to add a subscription

Even though interest in smart rings has surged over the past few years, I think we can still say they’re a relatively niche category. And I think one of the biggest barriers to entry is the ongoing subscription fee some brands charge.

For example, Oura requires a monthly membership of $5.99/£5.99 per month to unlock its full experience, and subscriptions — optional or otherwise — are on the up with fitness apps. Meanwhile, rivals like Ringconn have built some of their appeal around offering a similar health tracking experience without that additional fee.

Samsung certainly got this right with the original Galaxy Ring. And there are currently no signs a subscription is coming. But maintaining that approach feels increasingly important. We’ve already seen some companies introduce subscription-free products only to later place some features behind a paywall.

If Samsung wants to keep the Galaxy Ring truly competitive, it must make core health insights available without a monthly fee.

2. A slimmer and lighter design

(Image credit: Future)

Designing a smart ring has always been a challenge. Manufacturers need to pack in sensors, batteries and processing power all while making the ring feel as comfortable and jewellery-like as possible.

That’s one reason the new Oura Ring 5 has generated so much attention. It’s managed to become smaller and lighter while still adding some new capabilities.

Now, the Galaxy Ring 2 doesn’t necessarily need to be the smallest ring on the market. But even a slight reduction in size and weight would demonstrate that Samsung understands just how important comfort is when you’re asking people to wear something 24 hours a day.

3. Better battery life

Battery life is such an important part of the smart ring experience. The more I take off a ring, the less likely wearing it everyday will become a habit. And the more likely I become to forget about it. It also makes monitoring for trends and average vitals more tricky and less accurate.

As I write this, I’m testing the RingConn Gen 3, which promises significantly longer battery life than many of its rivals at 12 days on average. Other manufacturers are also exploring new battery technologies and the Samsung Galaxy Ring 2 is rumored to be getting a powerful solid-state battery upgrade

The original Galaxy Ring already offers a good battery life, but expectations are rising fast. And again, Samsung doesn’t necessary need to beat every rival. But if competing rings continue pushing to longer runtimes, the Ring 2 will need to remain competitive.

4. iOS support

(Image credit: Apple/US Patent and Trademark Office)

I think we can safely say this one feels less like something I’d like to see in the next generation of Samsung Galaxy Ring and more like something that must be a necessity.

The Samsung Galaxy Ring was only for Android users. Now, reports already suggest Samsung is working towards iPhone compatibility. If that’s true it could dramatically increase the Galaxy Ring’s appeal.

Because at the moment, limiting the ring to Samsung’s ecosystem excludes loads of potential buyers. Sure, Samsung users will continue to benefit from deeper integrated and additional features. But core functionality across both Android and iOS feels like a necessity.

However, we know Apple's already filed a patent for ring technology — see the above diagram — so even if it never comes to fruition, it's certainly a form factor Apple is mulling over.

5. Add a compelling new health feature

Most smart rings track the same core metrics, like sleep, heart rate, activity, stress and recovery. That means Samsung may need to offer something genuinely distinctive to stand out.

I say that because I’ve been testing the RingConn Gen 3 over the past few weeks, which adds features like vascular health insights and sleep apnea monitoring. Now, whether those features prove valuable to most users over the long term remains to be seen. But, they give the ring a clear point of differentiation.

I don’t think Samsung needs to copy those exact features. But offering something beyond the standard collection of health metrics could help the Galaxy Ring 2 feel like a meaningful upgrade over the original and a solid choice in a sea of similar offerings.

6. AI that isn’t annoying

I’m generally sceptical about AI chatbots in wearables because most implementations I’ve tested simply repeat the same information that’s visible in the app or provide really generic recommendations.

That said, some of Pak’s comments to Forbes do suggest Samsung is thinking beyond a basic execution of AI. Explaining that people have different motivational styles, so the approach needs to be tailored accordingly: “Over the next two to three years, the AI will be able to say, based on this person's characteristics, I'm going to nudge them this way, and 70 or 80 per cent of the time I can predict that person is going to exercise more or sleep more.”

I’m still cautious, especially as Samsung has already added some AI features to Samsung Health. But many wearable brands underestimate how much language matters when it comes to behavior change. The best implementation isn’t just telling users to sleep more, it might identify useful patterns, changes or spot warning signs and deliver advice in a way that’s genuinely personalized.

If Samsung can achieve that, AI could become one of the Galaxy Ring 2’s most compelling features rather than another box-ticking exercise.

There’s a good chance we’ll learn more at Samsung’s next Galaxy Unpacked event, which is scheduled to take place in London on July 22, 2026.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is pulling his National Guard early from Washington, D.C. as the chorus against Democratic governors sending troops to the city amid President Trump's ongoing deployment grows louder.

(Image credit: Joe Raedle)

It's hard to get away from AI these days, with the technology finding its way into our apps, devices, and entertainment — but according to a survey carried out by TechRadar's parent company Future, heavy use of chatbots such as Gemini and ChatGPT has actually fallen over the past year.

The reasons behind the shift are interesting too: users are mentioning concerns over privacy, a preference for human interaction, and worries about becoming too dependent on the tech when it comes to why they're avoiding AI.

While AI is clearly reshaping our world in significant and myriad ways, there's also now a noticeable trend of anti-AI sentiment that's worth paying attention to — whether it's to do with protests against data center expansion or worries about AI slop content.

These results are based on questionnaires filled out by 1,008 respondents, and they make for interesting reading — especially when you compare them to the statistics from the same Future survey conducted last year. Here's what the latest responses tell us.

Privacy worries

There are many reasons why people aren't so sure of AI at the moment. Topping the list for our respondents are concerns over privacy, which were cited by 32% of those who completed our survey — that's actually unchanged from last year, so no matter which chatbot is being used, many of us are wary about what it's doing with our data.

Second in the list, mentioned by 31% of survey participants, is a preference for human interaction (this is a new response option, so we don't have anything to compare it to from last year). While AI is certainly now more than capable of holding a conversation on just about any topic imaginable, it seems we're still seeking out flesh-and-blood relationships.

In third place we've got those who are happy without AI, which accounts for 29% of people surveyed — that's actually a drop of 18% over the previous survey, perhaps a sign that a significant chunk of people have realized they are happy chatting to AI on a daily basis (it's certainly getting more ubiquitous by the day).

There are plenty of people holding out on AI apps like ChatGPT (Image credit: Getty Images / NurPhoto)

Next on the list are fears around becoming too dependent on the tech, and concerns over AI misrepresenting a 'voice' or personality (in emails, for example), which account for 26% and 24% of respondents respectively. It seems a lot of us are worried we'll get to the stage where we can't do without AI for even basic tasks — not good when there's an outage — and that our communications will turn into generic, bland AI averageness.

Neither of those two responses were available last year, but the next two came in at exactly the same level as in the previous survey: a lack of awareness of AI's capabilities (19% of respondents) and a lack of interest in what AI could do (17% of respondents). It seems the AI hype hasn't quite reached everyone yet.

Rounding out our respondents' list of barriers to AI usage, we've got technical complexity (15%, down 24%), skepticism over whether AI can be helpful (14%, down 21%), environmental and energy impact concerns (11%, a new category), and being philosophically opposed to AI as a concept 10%, down 24%).

Regular AI usage

When answering the question of how often chatbots like Gemini or ChatGPT are used, 17% of those quizzed said "daily or almost daily", while 14% said several times a day. That's nearly 1 in 3 people using generative AI at least once a day or so, though that's actually fewer people than last year — could the novelty of the tech be wearing off?

The 14% figure for the most enthusiastic users has actually dropped by 31% over the course of the past 12 months, so while usage is exploding in areas such as coding, it seems as though the overall trend is in the opposite direction (perhaps influenced by the increasing amount of AI stuffed into our apps).

As for the less frequent users, 21% of respondents said they were using AI chatbots once a week or a few times a week, 11% ranked their usage as being a few times each month, and 8% said they used generative AI less than once a month — apparently dipping in and out for occasional chats.

AI chatbots like Claude have faced questions over security and privacy (Image credit: Anthropic)

When it comes to complete refuseniks, 30% of the survey participants said they don't use AI chatbots at all, which is a hefty 24% jump from last year. That suggests more and more people are taking against the very idea of AI, or finding it completely useless for day-to-day life and work.

There is a divide in the respondents worth mentioning between those who read Future publications and those who don't: more than 42% of Future readers use generative AI on a daily basis, with 21% using it multiple times a day, which overall is around double the figure for non-readers.

So that's the state of play for consumers and AI at the moment then, according to the people we surveyed. With generative AI advancements showing no signs of slowing down, it's going to be very interesting to see how these figures might have changed again in another 12 months.

If you're going to invest in a crime drama this summer, make it The Westies on MGM+. With its two-episode premiere dropping on the streamer this weekend, the new TV show is set to follow the real-life Irish-American crime family of the same name.

Basically, it's the perfect warm-up act for MobLand season 2 and The Gentleman season 2, which are both set to return in September. Led by J.K. Simmons as patriarch Eamonn Sweeney, expect fist fights, a cat-and-mouse chase with the FBI, and an ongoing standoff with the Italian-American mob.

While their story has never been adapted for film or TV, the Westies ran the streets of Hell's Kitchen for decades from the 1960s. When we meet them in the new crime drama, it's the peak of the 1980s, and their reputation is well-known.

This means that we're transported back to how the Big Apple looked some 40 years ago, and no matter what you think of the storyline, the setting is jaw-dropping. But according to the show's creators, no AI was used in the process of getting there.

'The look is absolutely authentic to the time period'

"It was analogue... we built the set," Chris Brancato tells me. "We didn't use AI. What we did was build a street in Toronto that replicated 1980s New York, that Hell's Kitchen street. It had blue screens where we could project a VFX background.

"The way we created that look was absolutely authentic to the time period... we achieved that because we built it," Michael Panes adds. "So we never left our stage space very much. We shot interior scenes in the interior set, then we'd walk outside and shoot on our New York Street. It was an attempt to put you, the viewer, in this time capsule environment that brought you back to the 1980s."

As far as I'm concerned, the effort has easily paid off. In the opening moments of episode 1, our core group figures out how to best exploit the Jacob Javits Convention Center construction, which is beginning to be built as the season kicks off.

While there, we get a breathtaking view of the Manhattan skyline that completely sets the tone for the artistry that we're about to see next. If anything, I think that the set is actually the strongest character of the bunch.

But even so, do mob stories like The Westies still pack a punch like they did in The Sopranos days?

"It seems to me that it shows like MobLand and others are very, very popular," Brancato responds. "So we think that the genre is alive and kicking. We hope that our show is going to enter the pantheon of the gangster shows that already exist... but I don't think an audience ever loses interest in watching criminals go after each other."

Hundreds of masked white nationalists marched in the nation's capital on July Fourth. Who were they and where does their funding come from?

(Image credit: Cheney Orr)

VR dance lesson apps like Dance Guru and Trip the Light offer a judgment-free way to learn partner dancing.

(Image credit: Chloe Veltman)

Spain and France will meet Tuesday in Arlington, Texas, in a matchup anticipated for years. Neither team has lost at this year's World Cup.

(Image credit: Mark J. Terrill)

Trump made the comments on his Truth Social after U.S. officials demanded that Iran make a public statement saying the Strait of Hormuz is open.

(Image credit: Iranian Supreme Leader Office)

Oukitel WP68 Air: 30-second review

The Oukitel WP68 Air lands as the accessible end of the WP68 family. Where the WP68 Pro chases a slim, cyber-styled design, the Air keeps things simple and in some ways more elegant.

Oukitel pitches this as a phone for anyone who wants rugged durability without the price tag of a flagship, and to that end, a 6.88-inch HD+ screen and an 8000mAh battery to do the heavy lifting.

On paper, its specifications undercut most of the rugged pack. The 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage look generous for the money, and the 64MP main camera promises more than a token effort in daylight. Android 16 also puts it ahead of several rivals still shipping on older builds.

This is a classic rugged phone able to withstand what the environment can throw at it, and the owner being clumsy, but it tries to have a foot also in the practical camp for those who need a daily driver.

The screen is 6.88 inches, making it easy to read, but the resolution isn't great, and the 450-nit brightness isn’t ideal for working in sunlight. Another limitation is that video capture is only 1440p, not 4K.

If you don’t do much photography, these aspects might not be an issue for you, but it's useful to be aware of these things before purchasing.

However, the biggest issue with the WP68 Air is that, compared to some previous Oukitel phones with better SoCs and cameras, its asking price doesn’t make it a bargain. And a few other annoyances stop this from joining our hallowed collection of best rugged phones.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)Oukitel WP68 Air: price and availability

• How much does it cost? $420/£270/€360
• When is it out? Available now in some regions
• Where can you get it? Direct from the maker

The asking price direct from Oukitel is $419.99, which doesn’t sound excessive for a phone with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. For UK customers, that translates into £268.99, and for Europeans it's €359.99. But, at the time of writing, it's out of stock for the UK.

Also, this phone isn’t available on Amazon or AliExpress, as far as I can see.

But an even greater problem for the WP68 Air is that it's priced in some regions higher than the WP210, a phone from the same stable with better specifications.

On the German Oukitel outlet, the WP210 is priced at €319,99, a full forty euros less than the WP68 Air, a phone it crushes in every respect. On the UK site, the WP68 Air is £16 cheaper, but the more powerful SoC, better screen and cameras are easily worth the difference. And even with US pricing, the WP210 is only $30 more, and that’s still a better deal than the WP68 Air.

I’m sure there are equally competitive phones from other brands, but when a phone from the same brand undermines its own value, the WP68 Air is obviously in trouble.

There is a better phone for this money, or close, and it's also from Oukitel.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

• Value score: 3.5/5

Oukitel WP68 Air: Specs

Item

Spec

CPU:

MediaTek Dimensity 7025 (Octa-core, up to 2.5GHz)

GPU:

IMG BXM-8-256 (PowerVR IMG GPU)

NPU:

MediaTek NPU 550

RAM:

12GB uMCP LPDDR5x+UFS3.1

Storage:

512GB

Screen:

6.8" IPS 450nit 120Hz

Resolution:

720 x 1640

SIM:

2x Nano SIM, or 1x Nano +TF

Weight:

314g or 328g with bumper

Dimensions:

178.4 x 83.2 x 11.9mm

Rugged Spec:

IP68 IP69K dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min), MIL-STD-810H Certification

Rear cameras:

64MP, 8MP and 2MP

Front camera:

32MP

Networking:

WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.2

OS:

Android 16

Battery:

8,000 mAh battery (Max 45 charge wired)

Colours:

Orange, Black, Green

Oukitel WP68 Air: Design

• Conservative design
• Standard button layout
• No wireless charging

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

From the official images, the WP68 Air follows the familiar rugged phone formula. A reinforced frame surrounds the display, with a textured rear panel and a camera module set into a raised block on the back. It is offered in three colourways: orange, black and green.

I’m really pleased that rugged phone makers aren’t making devices that look like props from a cancelled-after-one-season sci-fi show, and for the most part, the WP68 Air looks like a large ordinary phone.

What dictates the size of this design is the headline 6.88-inch panel at HD+ resolution. That’s plenty of glass for the price, though HD+ on a screen this size will look softer than the FHD+ panels found on some competitors' phones.

The layout is strictly by-the-numbers, with the power button and volume controls on the right, the custom button and SIM tray on the left. That’s what most people expect from an Android phone these days, and unless makers have a good reason to do something different, it seems the sensible choice

While I’m not 100% certain of this, without dismantling the phone, I’m confident that the primary camera sensor is on the centerline of the phone, with the nightvision sensor to the left and the IR lights and flash to the right.

With the camera cluster all in a horizontal line, it would have been easy to see damage to the sensor projections if Oukitel had not foreseen the issue. Counterbalancing the projections along the top, the WP68 Air has a ‘heel’ at the bottom that lets the phone lie almost flat on a table.

I assumed, then I saw this arrangement, that it was done to leave the majority of the back flat for wireless charging, but this phone doesn’t have this feature, so it’s purely aesthetic.

Not sure why so many rugged phone makers don’t like wireless charging, but apparently, they don’t.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Another feature Oukitel added to this phone was a hard plastic bumper, and this is the second phone I’ve seen with one recently. Not only are these difficult to remove, but by their nature, any impact on them will be transmitted to the phone, not dissipated like they are by soft TPU-made bumpers.

For those thinking, why would you remove it? The answer is the SIM tray, which can’t be accessed with the bumper in place.

Getting it off is a challenge, due to the lack of flexibility, and I would expect some people will invariably break theirs in their attempt. I’m not a fan of this trend.

In many ways, this phone feels like a toned-down version of the WP66. While the WP66 was a heavier, thicker design, the WP68 Air is slimmer, has a larger display, a smaller battery, and a more modest primary camera sensor.

That makes the Air more ergonomic, but it reduces runtime and lowers screen resolution, even though it’s physically larger.

From a potential customer's viewpoint, the WP69 Air is aimed at someone who wants a rugged phone as a daily driver, not a special piece of hardware for working outdoors.

Design score: 4/5

Oukitel WP68 Air: Hardware

• MediaTek Dimensity 7025
• 512GB of storage
• 8000 mAh battery

I’ve given my assessment of the Dimensity 7025 too many times, since it’s a remarkably popular choice for phone makers.

Looking back at my records, I saw this SoC in the Oukitel WP300, WP66, WP61 Plus, WP60 and WP55 Pro, and also the RugOne Xever 7 Pro.

The problem with the Dimensity 7025 is that it’s not a current-generation chip, as it's based on 6nm technology first deployed in 2022 in the Dimensity 930.

Currently, MediaTek has 4nm and 3nm SoCs, and shortly, it will be moving to 2nm, which puts the Dimensity 7025 in perspective.

Where this is most evident in this design is the integrated PowerVR IMG BXM-8-256 GPU, a component that can’t handle all the functions of OpenGL or Vulkan, making this phone unsuitable for hardcore gamers and VR users.

What makes that GPU look slightly better to the user is the curiously low resolution of the display, being just 720 x 1640. That’s a much smaller display in pixel terms than most phones with 6.6-inch or larger displays will need to drive.

However, even with this slight advantage, the IMG BXM-8-256 is the Achilles heel of this SoC.

Where Oukitel spent the money it saved on the SoC was in the RAM and storage, which seems to contradict the current trend to reduce those to save money.

12GB of RAM is a useful amount, easily enough to ignore Oukitel trying to oversell it as 36GB using storage-mapped memory. And 512GB is also a decent amount of storage, making this phone good for 4K video capture, where file sizes can grow.

The storage capacity is also useful, because the SIM tray is dual SIM only if you don’t use a MicroSD card, which might negate that extra storage for those who need a work and home phone number.

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The final jigsaw piece in the hardware of the WP68 Air is the battery, which, at 8000 mAh, is modest by rugged-phone standards. It’s more than an ordinary phone, but less than many rugged phones that often start at 10000 mAh and go up to 20000 mAh in some models.

Is it enough? That depends entirely on how you intend to use the WP68 Air, because it doesn’t sound ideal for a camping adventure away from civilisation for a week.

Due to the smaller battery capacity, this phone's marketing materials don’t mention reverse charging, as it doesn’t support that technology.

The flip side of the smaller battery is that the phone's overall weight is much closer to that of a standard smartphone, and it charges reasonably quickly with the provided 45W charger.

What gives me pause for thought is how this phone compares with the WP210 that Oukitel still sells. It weighs about the same, has 10% more battery, the same memory and storage, but a much more powerful SoC, an AMOLED screen, 108MP camera and reverse charging.

And, you get all that for $30 more from Oukitel. Based on the WP210, I’m not sure where those who set the price of the WP68 Air came from, but it’s a mismatch even compared to other Oukitel products.

• Hardware score: 3.5/5

Oukitel WP68 Air: Cameras

• 64MP, 8MP and 2MP on the rear
• 32MP on the front
• Four cameras in total

(Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The Oukitel WP68 Air Ultra has four cameras:

Rear camera: 64MP OmniVision OV64B, 8MP Hynix Hi-846 nightvision , 2MP GalaxyCore GC02M1 macro
Front camera: 32MP Sony IMX616

Oukitel WP68 Air Camera samplesMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark PickavanceMark Pickavance

The best bit of the photo capture part of this phone is undoubtedly the 64MP OmniVision OV64B, since its pixel-binning solution for still images works remarkably well.

However, its limitation is that there are only two digital zoom levels selectable on the phone app, 1.0x and 2.0x, but 0.5x increments are possible, going all the way up to 10.0x. At least the camera doesn’t expect you to move around to create framing, if you are aware of what pinching the screen does in picture mode. It also has autofocus, which works well.

The 8MP Hynix Hi-846 Night-Vision sensor is one that’s new to this reviewer, and the results seem decent. And, it can zoom in 1.0x increments from 1.0x to 4.0x. The only limitation of this device is how far the IR illumination goes from the phone in darkness, which isn’t much more than four or five metres.

Easily the worst option is the 2MP Macro, partly because the resolution is poor, but also because it has a fixed focus lens that’s set at about 4cm. Getting that to convert into a focus-accurate image is extremely difficult, and I’d suggest using the standard lens in 64MP mode and cropping the image for better results.

As I’ve commented before, the 32MP Sony IMX616 is overkill for a selfie camera role, but it does what you expect, and the quality of the capture is good.

The big disappointment of this camera arrangement is that the highest resolution video it will capture is 1440p, or 2560 x 1400 at 30 fps. The OmniVision OV64B is rated for 4K at up to 60 fps or 4K at 30 fps with Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS). So this limitation is entirely down to the Dimensity 7025, which does not support 4K video processing, only 1440p at 30fps. On this basis, it makes little sense that Oukitel use the OmniVision OV64B over a 32MP or even 16MP sensor.

And, if you hadn’t already guessed, this phone doesn’t support Widevine L1 encryption, so most big-name streaming services will only offer you 480p video. But since the screen is only 720 pixels high in landscape, it would only support 720p if it did have L1.

In short, the sensors are decent other than the Macro, but the SoC doesn’t allow them to be fully exploited.

• Camera score: 3.5/5

Oukitel WP68 Air: Performance

• 6nm SoC
• Mid-tier performance

Phone

 

Oukitel WP68 Air

Oukitel WP210

SoC

 

MediaTek Dimensity 7025

Mediatek Dimensity 8200

GPU

 

IMG BXM-8-256

Mali-G610 MC6

NPU

 

N/A

MediaTek NPU 580

Memory

 

12GB/512GB

12GB/512GB

Weight

 

314g

311g

Battery

 

8000

8800

Geekbench

Single

915

1246

 

Multi

2173

3968

 

OpenCL

156

4310

 

Vulkan

137

4736

PCMark

3.0 Score

12111

13970

 

Battery

19h 58m (19%)

22h 44m (19%)

Charge 30

%

33

26

Passmark

Score

5200

16455

 

CPU

4241

8490

3DMark

Slingshot OGL

3663

Maxed Out

 

Slingshot Ex. OGL

2582

Maxed Out

 

Slingshot Ex. Vulkan

2368

Maxed Out

 

Wildlife

1373

6023

 

Nomad Lite

125

625

Having another brand create a similar device that's better is one thing, but having the same brand steal the limelight seems unfortunate.

Due to their similarities in the market that they were both designed to succeed, I’ve matched the WP68 Air against its WP210 brother, and this picture isn’t pretty.

Performance-wise, the Dimensity 8200 eats the 7024 for breakfast. But then, since it’s a 4nm chip, and not a 6nm one, that’s to be expected.

But where the WP68 Air truly gets kicked to the kerb is when the tests involve graphics, since the Mali-G610 MC6 is superior in every respect to the IMG BXM-8-256.

The IMG chip can’t run some of the tests properly due to support issues with both OpenGL and Vulkan, which is why the GeekBench graphics scores are so abysmal.

Of all the tests, the only ones where the WP68 Air holds its own are in the PCMark Score and battery tests. Not sure why PCMark thinks it's nearly as good, but based on the battery capacity, it performs almost exactly the same as the WP210 when adjusted.

Though I have to wonder if the Dimensity 8200 did much more work in its 22 hours and 44 minutes than the 7025 managed over 19 hours and 58 minutes.

But the bottom line is that the WP210 is lighter, has more battery capacity, and lasts longer. The WP68 Air does charge a little faster, but with less battery to fill, that’s to be expected.

Overall, the WP68 is a shadow of the WP210, a phone that costs only a little more.

• Performance score: 3/5

(Image credit: Oukitel)Oukitel WP68 Air: Final verdict

With the price of everything that uses memory and flash storage increasing, for a casual observer, the $420 asking price for the WP68 Air seems reasonable. It’s a lightweight, rugged design that would be fine as a daily driver for many. The cameras are fine, and the amount of RAM and storage keeps it moving along quite smoothly.

However, there are a number of alternatives on the market, at least one of which is made by Oukitel itself, that seem to offer better performance and greater potential for around the same price.

I’ve concluded that Oukitel launches too many phones, and that makes the chance of them missing the obvious overlaps in their own range significantly more likely.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much about the WP68 Air that the WP210 didn’t do significantly better, so I’d recommend you get one of those instead.

Should I buy a Oukitel WP68 Air?Oukitel WP66 Score Card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

Not unreasonably priced, but equally not great value.

3.5/5

Design

A clean design where everything is where you would expect

4/5

Hardware

Lots of memory and storage, but the SoC is showing its age

3.5/5

Camera

Decent sensors, but only 2K video capture

3.5/5

Performance

Outclassed by newer Dimensity SoCs

3/5

Overall

A nice phone, but not as good as a previous design

3.5/5

Buy it if...

You need a phone for outdoors
The water and dust resistance on the Oukitel WP68 AIr is enough to handle submersion and drops. And, it's not too large to fit in a pocket, or too heavy to carry. Compared with some rugged designs, this one is decidedly practical.

You carry lots of data or apps
With 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM, this phone is ideal for those who like to carry data and install numerous apps. And, if you give up a SIM card slot, you can add a MicroSD card for even more space.

Don't buy it if...

You need the best video
The sensors on this phone aren't bad, but they're not exploited fully by the phone. With a 64MP sensor, video capture is capped at only 2K resolution. If you record video, you will want a design that can capture 4K.

You use demanding apps
Hardcore gamers and VR users will find the GPU in the WP68 Air is underpowered. There isn’t any way to fix this with 2022 SoC technology under the skin. Other Oukitel phones have better GPUs, and don't cost much more.

Also Consider

Oukitel WP210
A similar design with a better SoC, larger battery and 108MP camera. This device outclasses the WP68 Air in almost every way, and it doesn't cost much more to own.

Read my full Oukitel WP210 reviewView Deal

RugOne Xever 7 Pro
A RugOne design with swappable battery technology, but smaller batteries. The one critical advantage of this design is its thermal imaging camera. However, it costs more than the WP68 Air because of that feature.

Read my RugOne Xever 7 Pro review

For more ruggedized devices, we've reviewed the best rugged tablets, the best rugged laptops, and the best rugged hard drives

The Trump administration finalized a rule Friday that changes how agencies enforce the Endangered Species Act. The administration narrowed the definition of "harm" under the landmark law.

(Image credit: Carolyn Kaster)

Amazon's Prime Day sale has delivered another very tempting robot vacuum deal, with the Dreame X50 Ultra dropping to just AU$1,479. That's a huge discount from its AU$2,999 launch price last year, and well below the usual AU$2,000 price we've seen it discounted to in recent months.

It isn't a budget buy, even at AU$1,479, but this is the lowest price we've seen for this robovac so far and, given it scored an impressive 4.5 stars in our Dreame X50 Ultra Complete review, we think it's worth considering at this price.

This is the Prime Day robot vacuum deal to check out if you want a premium cleaner that can handle vacuuming, mopping and most of its own maintenance. In our Dreame X50 Ultra Complete review, our reviewer praised its edge cleaning, smart design and hands-off dock.View Deal

Want a cheaper option? Take a look at the Dreame X40 Ultra for just AU$749 — another all time low price.

Or, take a look at our coverage of all the Prime Day Dreame deals available.

This isn't just another robot vacuum with a mop attached to the rear. The Dreame X50 Ultra is built to be a proper hands-off floor cleaner, with a self-emptying, self-refilling and self-cleaning dock, 20,000Pa suction, extendable mop pads and a side brush designed to reach into edges and corners.

In our review, the Dreame X50 Ultra was described as setting "a new standard" for the best robot vacuums, with the reviewer praising its cleaning results and low-maintenance design.

The model reviewed was the Complete version, which means it comes with an accessory bundle, but the core robovac and dock is the same X50 Ultra you'll find in this Amazon Prime Day deal.

(Image credit: Future)

The X50 has a lot of clever features that make it more capable than previous models. Its navigation puck can retract so the robovac can clean under lower furniture, while its small threshold-hopping legs help it clear raised room dividers and other tricky transitions around the home.

Our review also highlights its mopping and vacuuming performance — especially its ability to make use of its extending side brush and mop pads.

(Image credit: Future)

However, our reviewer found the X50 Ultra's object avoidance wasn't always as reliable as expected, and its pet-waste detection needed the right settings to work properly in testing. Despits these shortcomings, it still scored very well in our tests, which is saying something.

If you've been waiting for Dreame's top model to fall to a more tempting price, Prime Day has delivered exactly that.

More Amazon Prime Day deals in Australia

• All the best Amazon Prime Day 2026 deals
• Best Prime Day deals under AU$100
• Best Prime Day vacuum cleaner deals
• Best Prime Day headphone deals
• Best Prime Day Apple deals
• Best Prime Day Garmin deals
• Best Prime Day coffee machine deals

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• The best robot vacuums we've tested

• Navy orders first 50 Blackbeard hypersonic missiles for $23.4 million total
• Each Blackbeard missile reportedly costs under $300,000 once full production begins
• Castelion has received three separate Navy funding rounds since February 2026

A California defense startup is now selling hypersonic missiles priced like a luxury vehicle rather than a mansion, marking a shift in weapons pricing.

Castelion's Blackbeard missile travels in excess of Mach 5 and reportedly costs under $300,000 per completed round, a fraction of typical hypersonic pricing.

The pricing became real on June 16 2026, when the US Navy ordered the first 50 production rounds for $23.4 million.

The Navy's first real purchase

The order also covers 50 shipping and storage containers, running primarily through Castelion's sprawling New Mexico factory campus.

It is the third Navy payment in five months, following $50 million in February to push Blackbeard from prototype toward operational use.

In April 2026, the Navy committed a further $105 million specifically to integrate Blackbeard onto the F/A-18 and to run the carrier-suitability testing required before any missile can operate safely from a carrier deck.

According to Bryon Hargis, CEO and co-founder of Castelion, the funding reflects the Navy's commitment to "advancing affordable, manufacturable long-range strike capability."

Castelion was founded by former SpaceX engineers and has already completed more than two dozen flight tests within three years.

One of those flight tests took place at the Army's Dugway Proving Ground in Utah during the latter part of 2025.

Castelion has also partnered with uncrewed-boat maker Saronic to demonstrate launching Blackbeard missiles from a robotic surface vessel at sea.

If testing continues to succeed, the eventual plan is to purchase Blackbeard missiles by the thousand rather than by the dozen.

In May 2026, the company signed a framework agreement with the Department of War covering multi-year production of roughly 500 weapons annually.

Cheaper parts from unrelated industries

The affordability behind Blackbeard rests heavily on components borrowed from several industries far removed from traditional aerospace manufacturing methods and vendors.

Chief Operating Officer Sean Pitt said the company uses automotive-grade Field-Programmable Gate Arrays originally built for driver assistance systems and electric vehicles.

These automotive processors cost roughly one-tenth as much as aerospace equivalents and arrive about six times faster, Pitt said.

Castelion has also replaced aerospace-grade metal tubing with precision-machined tubes originally designed for fracking operations in the oil and gas sector.

These tubes withstand heat and pressure levels comparable to rocket motor requirements, yet come from many more vendors at lower prices.

Rival startup Anduril has adopted a similar approach, using pharmaceutical-industry mixing technology to process rocket motor propellant far faster than legacy methods.

Castelion, recently valued at nearly $3 billion, has secured Pentagon contracts covering more than 500 hypersonic weapons under current agreements.

Via Defense News

• A Molniya drone struck without any visible control antenna at all
• Only a camera and computer were found inside the recovered drone
• Ukraine believes navigation and targeting may now run without humans

A Russian Molniya drone recently struck a Ukrainian facility without a visible control antenna, and the strike appeared unusual to observers tracking the weapon's design.

The recovered drone carried only a camera and an onboard computer, a stripped configuration that suggests a move toward greater autonomy in strike sequences.

Radio technology specialist Serhii "Flash" Beskrestnov, an adviser to Ukraine's defence minister, said the finding points toward navigation and targeting functions operating without a human operator.

A familiar pattern from the V2U platform

The same onboard setup had previously appeared only on the V2U drone, a separate Russian platform used earlier in the conflict.

"The enemy is using the V2U platform to train its neural network," Beskrestnov wrote, adding that the repeated hardware marked a troubling development.

"The UAV had only a camera and a computer. This is where everything is heading. Navigation, target acquisition and the attack will become fully autonomous."

Ukraine's Defence Intelligence, through its War&Sanctions portal, already classifies the V2U as an AI-enabled loitering munition, though independent confirmation remains absent from other sources.

This overlap raises fresh questions about whether commercial processors, originally built for civilian robotics, are being repurposed for battlefield autonomy across programmes.

There are speculations that Russia's drone programme is drawing on Nvidia's Jetson Orin platform, a processor widely used in hobbyist and commercial drone projects for onboard image recognition.

That kind of chip could plausibly allow a drone to identify and track targets without needing constant external human guidance.

However, no independent laboratory analysis has publicly confirmed the specific chip inside the recovered Molniya drone.

That gap leaves the true source of the hardware unclear, and points to a wider question of how such components may be reaching Russian manufacturers at all.

COTS components complicate export controls

Russian reliance on commercial off-the-shelf, or COTS, hardware appears to expose a persistent gap in international sanctions enforcement efforts worldwide.

Such components are typically manufactured for civilian markets and often reach restricted buyers through intermediaries, complicating end-use verification across borders.

Once a chip like the Jetson Orin leaves its original supply chain, tracing its final destination becomes difficult for export control agencies to manage in practice.

Manufacturers rarely sell directly to sanctioned states, so a single chip can pass through several resellers before reaching its final buyer.

Each additional link in that chain makes it harder for regulators to know exactly where a processor ends up.

This loophole means sanctioned states can potentially acquire advanced processors meant for hobbyist or commercial use, then repurpose them for weapons development.

A chip designed for a drone hobbyist's camera rig can, in principle, end up guiding a loitering munition instead.

Closing that gap would likely require tighter monitoring of resellers and distributors rather than restrictions on the manufacturers themselves.

Export control regimes were largely built around large, traceable defence contracts rather than small consumer electronics shipments.

That mismatch leaves regulators several steps behind when commercial parts are diverted toward military applications.

Until distributors face stricter tracking requirements, similar hardware may keep surfacing in future weapons regardless of existing sanctions.

Via Ukrainska Pravda

Looking for a different day?

A new Quordle puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: Quordle hints and answers for Friday, July 10 (game #1628).

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,500 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today — or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc's Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about Quordle today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

Quordle today (game #1629) — hint #1 — VowelsHow many different vowels are in Quordle today?

• The number of different vowels in Quordle today is 3*.

* Note that by vowel we mean the five standard vowels (A, E, I, O, U), not Y (which is sometimes counted as a vowel too).

Quordle today (game #1629) — hint #2 — repeated lettersDo any of today's Quordle answers contain repeated letters?

• The number of Quordle answers containing a repeated letter today is 1.

Quordle today (game #1629) — hint #3 — uncommon lettersDo the letters Q, Z, X or J appear in Quordle today?

• No. None of Q, Z, X or J appear among today's Quordle answers.

Quordle today (game #1629) — hint #4 — starting letters (1)Do any of today's Quordle puzzles start with the same letter?

• The number of today's Quordle answers starting with the same letter is 2.

If you just want to know the answers at this stage, simply scroll down. If you're not ready yet then here's one more clue to make things a lot easier:

Quordle today (game #1629) — hint #5 — starting letters (2)What letters do today's Quordle answers start with?

• W

• P

• D

• D

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

Quordle today (game #1629) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle, game #1629, are…

• WORTH
• PRONG
• DINGO
• DRUID

One of my favorite things about playing Quordle is when you visualize a word before typing it and just know it’s right.

Of course, quite often that feeling can end abruptly, but sometimes, like today for me you get it four times.

Daily Sequence today (game #1629) — the answers

(Image credit: Merriam-Webster)

The answers to today's Quordle Daily Sequence, game #1629, are…

• MERIT
• OAKEN
• GAILY
• GLEAM

Quordle answers: The past 20

• Quordle #1628, Friday, 10 July: GREET, STEAK, DUSKY, HAUTE
• Quordle #1627, Thursday, 9 July: CRUMP, PHONE, SHINY, STONY
• Quordle #1626, Wednesday, 8 July: GHOST, TREND, EXALT, ALONG
• Quordle #1625, Tuesday, 7 July: ARRAY, SUITE, KIOSK, BOULE
• Quordle #1624, Monday, 6 July: TRAWL, SPICE, PIANO, SHARK
• Quordle #1623, Sunday, 5 July: PINEY, SWOON, TITLE, PINTO
• Quordle #1622, Saturday, 4 July: ARGUE, MOTEL, OPERA, TRUCE
• Quordle #1621, Friday, 3 July: AVERT, MOTOR, MANIC, WORDY
• Quordle #1620, Thursday, 2 July: BULKY, PARSE, BELOW, MOVIE
• Quordle #1619, Wednesday, 1 July: EASEL, OTTER, LYRIC, SHACK
• Quordle #1618, Tuesday, 30 June: HALVE, DRYER, THERE, MINTY
• Quordle #1617, Monday, 29 June: SLURP, CRACK, CRANK, PHONY
• Quordle #1616, Sunday, 28 June: RUPEE, TOPAZ, FULLY, BEING
• Quordle #1615, Saturday, 27 June: PRINT, MARRY, SADLY, BICEP
• Quordle #1614, Friday, 26 June: JUICE, ARRAY, BONEY, SKIFF
• Quordle #1613, Thursday, 25 June: SHELF, TAWNY, HYPER, SOLVE
• Quordle #1612, Wednesday, 24 June: SOBER, ECLAT, GOOSE, NINNY
• Quordle #1611, Tuesday, 23 June: ARDOR, DADDY, SERVE, SHEAR
• Quordle #1610, Monday, 22 June: WAXEN, APNEA, CHIME, WAVER
• Quordle #1609, Sunday, 21 June: ABBOT, NOTCH, DREAD, LURID

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Friday, July 10 (game #859).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Strands today (game #860) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Fishy fare

NYT Strands today (game #860) - hint #2 - clue words

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• PROSE
• DATE
• POEM
• SALE
• CANE
• TAUNT

NYT Strands today (game #860) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?

• Spangram has 9 letters

NYT Strands today (game #860) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?

• First side: left, 5th row

• Last side: right, 5th row

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Strands today (game #860) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Strands, game #860, are…

• CHEESE
• SOUP
• MILK
• TUNA
• PEPPER
• SALT
• NOODLES
• SPANGRAM: CASSEROLE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

I have never sampled the delights of a tuna casserole, so I went on a Google search after completing today’s game and found dozens of variations to the Strands recipe including the addition of lime, swapping the noodles for macaroni, and adding a potato chips topping.

It seems easy to make so I’m going to give it a go — but without the MILK.

Meanwhile, despite my culinary blank, I managed to navigate the board without any issues. A tasty start to the weekend.

Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Friday, July 10, game #859)

• BELIEVE
• HISTORY
• HASTE
• GOOD
• MERRY
• LOVE
• SENSE
• SPANGRAM: WECANMAKEIT

What is NYT Strands?

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.

Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Friday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, July 10 (game #1125).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #1126) - today's words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• STILL
• STILTS
• SLINKY
• AARDVARK
• WOODY
• GLASSY
• CANNON
• BOCCE
• EBBING
• BO PEEP
• FLAT
• UNICYCLE
• CALM
• JESSIE
• TRAPEZE
• TWIDDLE

NYT Connections today (game #1126) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: As seen in a Big Top
• GREEN: Glacial waters
• BLUE: Pixar favorites
• PURPLE: Ordered ABCD

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1126) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: CIRCUS EQUIPMENT
• GREEN: UNDISTURBED, AS WATER
• BLUE: "TOY STORY" CHARACTERS
• PURPLE: DOUBLE LETTERS APPEARING IN THAT LETTER'S ALPHABETICAL
• POSITION

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1126) - the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1126, are…

• YELLOW: CIRCUS EQUIPMENT: CANNON, STILTS, TRAPEZE, UNICYCLE
• GREEN: UNDISTURBED, AS WATER: CALM, FLAT, GLASSY, STILL
• BLUE: "TOY STORY" CHARACTERS: BO PEEP, JESSIE, SLINKY, WOODY
• PURPLE: DOUBLE LETTERS APPEARING IN THAT LETTER'S ALPHABETICAL:
• POSITION AARDVARK, BOCCE, EBBING, TWIDDLE

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

Congratulations if you spotted the DOUBLE LETTERS APPEARING IN THAT LETTER'S ALPHABETICAL POSITION.

I did momentarily think the double-A in AARDVARK was significant, but the other groups came together so easily I put it to one side.

A sign of an easy, universally gettable game is not just how quickly you complete the four groups, but also how common it is that you complete it in difficulty order.

That was the case for me today, although with the exception of the purple any of the groups would qualify as a yellow on other day. My brain is struggling to think of anything other than England vs Norway in the World Cup, so I’m grateful for the time off.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, July 10, 2026, game #1125)

• YELLOW: SMARTPHONE SETTINGS: AIRPLANE MODE, DO NOT DISTURB, HOTSPOT, LOCATION SERVICES
• GREEN: DESSERT MENU DESCRIPTORS: DECADENT, FRESH-BAKED, MOLTEN, À LA MODE
• BLUE: '8OS SYNTH-POP BANDS: DEPECHE MODE, ERASURE, NEW ORDER, PET SHOP BOYS
• PURPLE: STARTING WITH BASEBALL CALLS: BALL GOWN, OUTKAST, SAFE MODE, STRIKE A POSE

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.