GoKawiil
Tech News
At its fall event, Apple launched the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and a new foldable iPhone Duo, but held back the standard iPhone 18, which is now expected in early 2026. Alongside this, Apple raised prices by $100 across its existing iPhone 17 models and even the older iPhone 16, which returns to its original $799 price.
Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 12 at its September 9th event, featuring a new Siri-powered Audio Intelligence system with live rewind and ambient 'Siri Recap' note-taking. The watch runs on a new S11 chip, starts at $399, and ships September 18th with health upgrades including continuous heart rate sensing and a new Readiness score.
Apple unveiled the AirPods 5, an update to 2024's AirPods 4, featuring a redesigned acoustic architecture and adaptive active noise cancellation that Apple claims reduces noise 50 percent better than before. A higher-end model adds stem-based volume controls, up to five hours of ANC playback, and a wireless charging case compatible with Qi and Apple Watch chargers. The base model costs $129 while the wireless-charging version is $149—$30 cheaper than its predecessor—with both available for preorder now and shipping September 18th.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone may be named the iPhone Duo rather than 'Fold' or 'Ultra,' pricing it from $2,000 for 256GB up to nearly $3,000 for 2TB. The device is expected to feature an A20 Pro chip, C2 modem, dual 48MP rear cameras, a 12MP front camera, Apple Pencil support, and a landscape-folding design, launching in October in dark blue and white.
An analysis breaks down why cheap and expensive smart TVs differ mainly in their system-on-a-chip, which handles video decoding, upscaling, and app performance. Budget TVs often lack AI-assisted upscaling, are capped at 60Hz refresh rates, and tend to run menus and apps more slowly, while pricier models handle 120Hz output and sharper image reconstruction.
Apple's upcoming 'Surprise and Shine' event is expected to introduce three new iPhones, including its first foldable device, rumored to be called the iPhone Ultra, priced between $2,000 and $2,500. The lineup will also include the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, both reportedly powered by a new A20 Pro chip, with the standard iPhone 18 and iPhone Air held back for a later announcement. This will be the first major product event overseen by Apple's new hardware engineering chief turned CEO, John Ternus.
Apple will introduce the Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Apple Watch Series 12 alongside its new iPhones this week. Reports point to an upgraded S11 chip replacing the aging S10/S9 silicon, a returning ceramic case option, additional sensors, and possible new health features including an expanded hypertension notification system and an always-on heart rate sensor.
Startup Vaire Computing, led by founder Earley, has built a chip featuring a patent-pending resonator that reclaims energy typically lost as heat during computation. Last year the company demonstrated a version that recovered more energy than it consumed, even after accounting for the power needed to run the component itself, marking an early proof of concept for a decades-old theoretical idea called reversible computing.
Rene Haas, chief executive of Arm Holdings, told the BBC that AI will eventually cure cancer by modelling complex cellular and DNA processes beyond current human or computing capability, though he said this progress is being constrained by a shortage of chips needed to build data centres. He also predicted humanoid robots would become widespread within five years, while expressing doubt that chip manufacturing could realistically be built up in the UK.
Belgian prosecutors detained a Chinese man in May as he prepared to fly to Beijing, alleging he had been passing sensitive chip-related technology to a company in China. The case is part of a broader investigation into suspected industrial espionage targeting Europe's semiconductor sector.
Apple's September event this Wednesday is expected to introduce three new high-end iPhones: the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and a first-ever foldable model dubbed iPhone Ultra priced above $2,000. The base iPhone 18 and an Air successor are reportedly being delayed until early 2027, leaving this year's lineup focused entirely on premium devices.
Sony has revived its acclaimed WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones under a new name, the WH-1000XM4C, after they went out of stock. The refreshed model keeps the same compact folding design and four-microphone ANC setup with the older QN1 chip, but adds a 10-band EQ, a gaming preset, Bluetooth 6 support, and a new lavender color option. Battery life dips slightly to 27 hours from 30, and the headphones will launch this fall for $300.