ICYMI: the week’s 7 biggest tech stories, from the Meta Quest 3 to the Pixel 8 Pro
If you want to stay up to date with everything that happened in the tech world over the last seven days, then you’ve come to the right place: we’re about to round up the biggest stories on TechRadar from the last seven days grasp. week, and there’s a lot to get through.
Our dedicated reviewers have been busy taking a closer look at the Google Pixel 8 Pro phone, the Meta Quest 3 VR headset and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 smartwatch β bringing you the most in-depth reviews of these devices you’ll find on can find the website. web.
There’s plenty of other news too, from leaked benchmarks to new Netflix shows, so let’s take a look at what happened.
7. We got an idea of ββhow powerful the Galaxy S24 will be
The Samsung Galaxy S24 series could pack a serious punch in terms of performance, if the newly leaked benchmarks are to be believed. These benchmarks are not of the phones themselves, but rather of the chipset that will likely power them.
That chipset will likely be Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the successor to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 found in some of the best Android phones of 2023 – and the processor should be unveiled at the end of this month.
Based on the benchmarks, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 will offer significant improvements in CPU and GPU performance, and the Samsung Galaxy S24 could be one of the first phones to benefit from this in 2024.
6. Kia showed off some cool new electric car concepts
This week saw the first ever Kia EV Day, and the automaker certainly had a lot of electric vehicle news to share β continuing its plan to move at least 1.6 million electric vehicles before the end of the decade.
We have received updates on the EV1, the EV2, the EV3 and EV4 concepts and the EV5. We’re big fans of a sensible and clear naming strategy, and Kia is clearly on top of that as it prepares to get these models ready for launch.
Head over to the full article below to see images from Kia and to find out what features these vehicles will have β features that might convince you to make one of these your next electric car purchase.
5. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 brought the best smartwatch screen yet
The Apple Watch Ultra, launched last year, was a significant upgrade from what Apple had previously offered in the smartwatch space, so it’s perhaps no surprise that its successor is only an incremental upgrade β though it’s still one worth considering. worth seeing.
Our full Apple Watch Ultra 2 review is now live and we’ve been busy testing everything from the feel of the watch on the wrist to the battery life between charges. There’s a new processor inside, plus a nifty new Double Tap gesture you can use.
To give you an idea of ββwhat we thought of the watch, our review focuses on a great display and even includes the phrase “best Apple Watch ever” β although we didn’t give the wearable full marks.
4. Netflix’s spooky new show got rave reviews
The spooky season is upon us, and this week included a Friday the 13th β so it’s an ideal time for Netflix to release its spooky new series based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe, The Fall of the House of Usher.
Based on the reviews that have hit the internet so far, critics are loving the show: it’s been described as “gripping”, “gleefully terrifying” and “some of (director Mike) Flanagan’s best work”, so the series it certainly isn’t. shortage of fans.
All eight episodes of The Fall of the House of Usher are out now and available to stream on Netflix, so you can see for yourself what all the fuss is about β but be prepared for a few scares along the way if you go and watch.
The long-awaited successor to the Oculus Quest 2 has arrived, and we think the combination of features and price that the Meta Quest 3 combines makes it the best virtual reality headset for most people right now.
Technically, it’s actually both a mixed reality headset and a VR headset. The new passthrough technology Meta has put in means you can see the real world through the digital world – and let aliens invade your living room and so on.
The Quest 3 can also play everything that was available on the Quest 2, with new titles launching soon. As our Meta Quest 3 review puts it, “At this price, the VR and MR performance can’t be beat, and the Quest Store’s VR software catalog is fantastic.”
2. OnePlus has confirmed when its foldable phone will launch
We’re just about ready for the arrival of OnePlus’ first foldable phone, with the OnePlus Open now confirmed to launch next Thursday, October 19 – the previously rumored launch date for the device.
OnePlus has teased the foldable phone’s design with a handful of images, but unofficial sources continue to fill in the rest of the details. A new leak has outlined most of the phone’s specifications, including some high-resolution photos.
So far we like what we’re hearing. The OnePlus Open is tipped to have the largest battery yet in a foldable, as well as one of the thinnest designs we’ve seen with this form factor, and we’ll obviously cover its launch next Thursday.
1. The Google Pixel 8 Pro blurred the lines between phone and reality
The last review of this week’s reviews that we want to show you is for Google’s new flagship phone for 2023, the Pixel 8 Pro. The device comes with tons of AI tricks to improve your photos and videos. That is why we describe it as the blurring of the boundaries of reality.
We’d also call this phone the best Pixel Google has ever made – although it would be a disappointment if it wasn’t, with the new Tensor G3 chipset inside and a triple-lens camera system on the rear.
If you’re weighing up whether this is the next phone upgrade for you – or you just want to see if the top-tier Pixel is a serious iPhone competitor – then the full TechRadar Google Pixel 8 Pro review is all you need.