ICYMI: The 7 Biggest Tech Stories of the Week on Netflix Level Changes to Lofty Samsung Ambitions in Health Tech
The tech world has shown no signs of slowing down in the breakneck pace following CES 2024 and the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S24. This week we saw Netflix announce major changes to its subscription tiers, and Denon has unveiled an impressive piece of home theater equipment.
To help you stay on top of the past week, we’ve put together a list of the seven biggest tech news stories you need to know about.
In the coming weeks, look out for the launch of Apple Vision Pro on February 2 (it’s bound to be a big one, with lines around the corner) and the Super Bowl – which usually leads to lots of great TV deals so you can watch the big game on a beautiful new 4K screen.
7. Where have all those Apple Vision Pros gone?
Shortly after, Apple launched Vision Pro orders on January 19. Some reported that Apple had sold out of what was likely a limited supply. Was every Spatial Reality headset sold to a legitimate buyer? We found a surprising number of Vision Pro pre-orders on eBay. And yes, at a significant increase.
Unlike typical eBay listings that show a real product and tell you it’s in “Good Condition,” these Vision Pro listings usually include images from Apple’s Vision Pro site or simply a copy of the pre-order form. It’s not clear how buyers will get Zeiss lens inserts if they need them or if the light seal is the right size. What’s even worse is that prices for these promises of access to Vision Pro are currently skyrocketing. You may want to wait until Apple restocks its own stock.
6. Netflix’s Basic Tier is Over
Trust Netflix to enrage us (and its broader user base) again with more price-based bad news. This week, the world’s top streaming service announced via its Q4 2023 earnings report that it plans to discontinue its cheapest ad-free offering and teased that more price hikes are on the way.
Heard angry reactions everywhere. If, like us, you’re unhappy with the prospect of being forced to pay for Netflix’s ad-supported tier or one of Netflix’s more expensive plans, you may want to consider canceling your Netflix account. Before you do this, make sure you get your money’s worth by streaming some of the best Netflix movies or best Netflix shows.
5. Galaxy AI isn’t coming to the Galaxy S22
The Samsung Galaxy S24 (along with the Plus and Ultra) was announced last week with some pretty impressive AI features. These cool new camera and translation tools won’t be exclusive to the new phones, though – we’ve also learned that the Galaxy S23, Galaxy Z Fold 5, and Galaxy Z Flip 5 will be getting Galaxy AI upgrades in the coming months.
Unfortunately, despite the Samsung Galaxy S22, Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra being just two years old (and using the same chipset as the S23 FE), these older handsets won’t be getting the cool new Galaxy AI.
However, they will still get some new features in the upcoming One UI 6.1 update, so it’s not all bad news.
4. The promising Fujifilm X100VI broke the cover
The Fujifilm X100V has been out of stock for years, but this week brought good news for fans of the retro compact camera series. There are now strong rumors that an X100VI successor will launch on February 20 – and it promises to be a major upgrade.
This week’s rumors suggest that the X100VI will not only get a new 40MP sensor (the same as the one in the excellent Now that the dashing movie camera look is also in the cards, could this be TikTok’s new favorite camera? It looks likely.
3. Apple’s App Store got its biggest overhaul ever
Apple will be looking forward to the end of January – not only has it been forced to remove a health feature from the Watch Series 9 in the US, it has now also had to make major changes to the App Store in the EU. The biggest news is that third-party app stores and app sideloading will soon be available to iPhone users in the EU. But that’s just the beginning.
These nasty new regulations mean that Apple will also have to open up iOS in the EU in other ways, including allowing non-WebKit browsers, alternative payment systems, and gaming streaming services on the App Store. Apple is clearly not happy about it, but EU residents can look forward to some big changes in iOS 17.4 starting in March.
2. Denon has announced an 8K AV receiver
Denon has unveiled a brand new 8K AV receiver that’s the most impressive home theater device we’ve ever seen. It features seven 8K-ready HDMI inputs (supports HLG, HDR, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dynamic HDR pass-through), two HDMI outputs and 11.4 audio channels (with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, IMAX Enhanced and Auro 3D) so you can connect virtually any immersive sound system imaginable.
The Denon AVC-X6800H is extremely flexible, although the powerful little gadget will set you back £3,000 in Britain – that’s around $3,850 / AU$5,795, although Denon is yet to confirm price and availability outside Europe.
1. Samsung has announced lofty goals in health technology
Following the recently announced Galaxy Ring, Samsung has said it hopes to develop non-invasive glucose monitoring and continuous blood pressure monitoring within five years. This would represent a major step forward for consumer healthcare technology, far beyond anything offered by competitors like Apple.
Non-invasive glucose meters already exist, but they need to be replaced every week or two – something that isn’t possible for a smartwatch that costs hundreds of dollars.
But Samsung seems confident that it can work something out, we’ll just have to wait and see what it has in store and planned for your fingers and wrists.