Android 15 is the next big update coming to Android smartphones, but when exactly should OnePlus users expect the update to appear?

While you might assume that it’ll roll out as soon as the final release of Android 15 is ready later this year, that’s sadly not the case. While there’s no confirmation of exactly when OnePlus will roll out the Android 15, we can take a look at previous OS update rollouts to gauge OnePlus’ plans.

With that in mind, here’s all you need to know about the Android 15 update on OnePlus smartphones, from rollout speculation to supported devices and how you can get in on the fun early with the Android 15 beta. 

When will OnePlus roll out the Android 15 update to supported phones?

While you might hope that, like Google Pixel devices, all supported OnePlus devices would get updated to Android 15 as soon as it’s available – but looking at the Android 14 release schedule, it seems highly unlikely.

Take the OnePlus Open for example; the Android 14 update began rolling out in India in early 2024, but it wasn’t rolled out to the US and Europe until mid-2024. That’s almost six months after the stable release of Android 14 first appeared on Pixel devices. 

Thankfully, that’s a bit of an outlier in the current OnePlus collection. The Android 14 update began rolling out to OnePlus 11 users who participated in the beta program in late 2023, with a wider release in January 2024, while the OnePlus 10 Pro and Nord CE 3 Lite received the update in early 2024. 

With that in mind, it’s likely that most OnePlus devices running Android 14 won’t get the Android 15 update until the end of 2024, or more likely, early on in 2025.

Which OnePlus devices will get the Android 15 update?

It’s worth noting that not every single OnePlus device will get the upgrade to Android 15 – only those with ongoing long-term software support. That means if you’ve bought a OnePlus phone in the past couple of years, you’ll likely get the update later this year. However, if you’re rocking a OnePlus 10 or earlier, you might be out of luck.

Based on OnePlus’ long-term software promise, the following devices should get the Android 15 update once it rolls out: 

• OnePlus 12
• OnePlus 12R
• OnePlus Open
• OnePlus 11
• OnePlus Nord CE 4
• OnePlus 10 Pro
• OnePlus Nord 3
• OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite
• OnePlus Pad
• OnePlus Pad Go

Can I install the Android 15 beta on my OnePlus phone?

The good news is that you don’t need to wait until later this year – or possibly even 2025 – to try out Android 15 on your OnePlus smartphone. There is a catch, however; despite Android 15 coming to 10+ OnePlus devices, you can only install the Android 15 beta on either the OnePlus 12 or foldable OnePlus Open. 

It’s also worth noting that OnePlus has explicitly warned against everyday OnePlus users installing the Android 15 beta as it’s currently unstable and breaks a few key features on both phones – the full list of known issues is available on the OnePlus community forum. As such, it’s only really recommended for software developers, and certainly not on primary devices. 

If you are interested in this early look at Android 15, follow the (quite advanced) steps on the OnePlus community forum – but be warned, the process risks bricking your phone entirely. 

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Nvidia and MediaTek are reportedly working together to produce a new chip that could power the handheld gaming PCs of tomorrow.

It all starts with an X (formerly Twitter) post from analyst Dan Nystedt, which reveals an industry rumour that the two chip giants are co-developing an Arm-based AI processor for PCs. Apparently, the design will apparently be finalised in the third quarter of 2024, and verified in the fourth quarter.

Manufacturing is said to be set for the first half of 2025 on TSMC’s 3nm process, and we could hear official news on the chip from MediaTek at Computex Taipei 2024 in June. With a price said to be around the $300 mark, this will be one premium PC chip.

Yep and Mediatek is also working on gaming handled SoC with Nvidia GPU as Jensen is frustrated by Nintendo and he sees a good market potential.
PS: its different than the new NV semi-custom div that tries to reenter the console market (some CN clients are already interested) https://t.co/sBuYVLJILc

— AGF (@XpeaGPU) May 15, 2024

Leaker XpeaGPU followed this up by confirming the rumour, as well as claiming that Mediatek was also producing a gaming handled SoC, with Nvidia providing the GPU.

With Nvidia already tipped to be supplying Nintendo with a custom Tegra chip for the Switch 2 next year, 2025 could be a big year for handheld gaming machines.

Indeed, the suggestion here is that Nintendo’s habit of using mature technology (which is both proven and cheap) is causing some frustration at Nvidia HQ – the ‘Jensen’ being mentioned here a reference to Jensen Huang, co-founder and CEO of Nvidia. The Taiwanese company apparently sees a great deal of potential in the handheld gaming SoC space, and seems eager to press forward with a more advanced solution.

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Canon has revealed that its first flagship EOS R System camera, the Canon EOS R1, will arrive later this year. 

According to Canon, the EOS R1 will be marketed toward professionals looking for top-class performance, strong durability and cutting-edge technology. This includes those working in sports, news reporting, and video production. 

The camera will also offer improved performance when shooting both stills and video compared to the brand’s current top-of-the-line camera, the Canon EOS R3. 

Many of the EOS R1’s improvements will come down to a fresh image processing system compromised of Canon’s newly developed image processor Digic Accelerator combined with the existing Digic X and a new CMOS sensor. 

This combo will enable the flagship to process large volumes of data at high speeds and deliver new advancements in autofocus, including improved subject recognition, and subject tracking. Canon uses the example of a team sporting event where the camera will lock onto its target and retain focus on that person even when other players pass in front of them. 

The camera will also feature an Action Priority mode which analyses the scene to determine which player is performing an action – such as shooting the ball – automatically shifting the focus to that person. 

You can also expect to see improvements in image quality thanks to the image noise reduction function which will now be available in-camera. 

This isn’t the first we’d heard of the Canon EOS R1. The mirrorless camera has been slated as Canon’s replacement for its flagship DLSR, the EOS-1D X Mark III, since 2021. The camera was also basically confirmed by Canon exec Go Tokura in an interview with Photo Trend last year. 

However, this is the first official announcement we’ve received from Canon regarding the EOS R1. Even better, it gives us a time frame to look forward to as the company aims for a 2024 launch.

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The Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus is a low key bargain over on Giffgaff right now.

O2’s budget-oriented mobile virtual network (MVNO) is currently offering the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus in ‘like new’ condition for just £599.

This is a phone that was officially retailing at £1,049 less than a year ago. In other words: it’s a total bargain.

If the ‘like new’ designation didn’t tip you off, these models are refurbished, and as such aren’t brand new. However, Giffgaff offers the assurance that they “look like new” with “no visible scratches” to be found. It also offers a reassuring 24 month guarantee.

Samasung’s Plus range always feels a little underrated or under-appreciated to us. Perhaps that’s because it falls in between the plain S and flagship Ultra lines.

All we know is that we rated the Galaxy S23 Plus highly in our review, scoring it 4 out of 5 and finding that “It has a good, big screen; versatile camera and long battery life”, and saying that it was “a reliable device to have by your side.”

One of our main criticisms with this 2023 model was that it was a tad on the pricey side, given what you could get for less money at the time. However, in light of this Giffgaff deal, that price is a whole lot more inviting.

We’d go so far as to say it’s outstanding value at £599, and that it tops a lot of current mid-rangers in virtually every department.

Especially given that you can now get Samsung’s Galaxy AI software, which debuted on the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S4 Plus, via an update.

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Google has released the first Android 15 beta ahead of a wider rollout later this year – but when exactly will the final version of Android 15 be released? And more specifically, when will eligible Google Pixel devices get the update?

While we’re still some time away from Android 15 landing on your Pixel smartphone, here, we cover everything there is to know about the upgrade right now, from Pixel rollout date speculation to supported devices and how to get in on the action early with the Android 15 beta program. 

When will my Google Pixel smartphone get the Android 15 update?

As with most Android manufacturers, it’s pretty hard to say with any degree of certainty exactly when the Android 15 update will appear on your Pixel smartphone. 

The saving grace is that Google is usually among the first to roll out the software update to previous-gen devices, with the Pixel 7 and Pixel 6 getting the upgrade from Android 13 to Android 14 on 4 October 2023, the same day that the Android 14-enabled Pixel 8 range was announced. 

With that in mind, we’d expect something similar from Google with the Android 15 update, essentially rolling out the polished OS on the same day that the Android 15-equipped Pixel 9 range is revealed. 

We’re still too far away from the launch to get specific, but Google does tend to launch its flagship hardware in early October, so expect the update sometime in the first half of October if all goes to plan. 

Which Pixel devices will get the Android 15 update?

It’s worth noting that not every single generation of Pixel will get the update to Android 15 – only those with ongoing long-term software support. 

That’s fine if you’ve purchased a Pixel device in the past couple of years as they’re essentially guaranteed to get the update, but if you’ve got a Pixel 5 or older, it’ll be stuck on its current iteration of Android.

Google has confirmed that the following devices will get the Android 15 update later this year, alongside the expected Pixel 9 range:

• Google Pixel 8
• Google Pixel 8 Pro
• Google Pixel 8a
• Google Pixel Fold
• Google Pixel Tablet
• Google Pixel 7
• Google Pixel 7 Pro
• Google Pixel 7a
• Google Pixel 6
• Google Pixel 6 Pro
• Google Pixel 6a

Can I access the Android 15 beta on my Pixel?

The good news is that keen Pixel users don’t have to wait for the official rollout of Android 15 later this year – as long as you can deal with the occasional bug or broken feature, that is. Like the iOS Public Beta that lets keen iPhone fans get a sneak peek of the upcoming version of iOS, Pixel users have the Android Beta for Pixel program.

The beta program is available to all Pixel devices due to get the Android 15 update, meaning Pixel 6 users and later can get involved – and it’s pretty easy to do too.

If you’re interested, simply head over to the Android Beta for Pixel website and enrol your device. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes, at which point the Android 15 beta should be available to download onto your Pixel.

We wouldn’t recommend installing the update – especially earlier betas – onto your primary device as it could break some important features and functionality. However, if you’ve got a spare Pixel phone handy and want to delve in ahead of everybody else, go for it! 

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This Soundcore Boom 2 Bluetooth speaker deal is perfect for the summer, getting you an excellent outdoor speaker at a steep discount.

Amazon is selling the Soundcore Boom 2 for £99.99 right now, which is a 17% saving on the £119.99 RRP. It’s a limited time deal, though, so you’ll need to be quick.

The Soundcore Boom 2 might be a portable Bluetooth speaker, but there’s nothing small about its sound. It supplies an impressive 80W output, while a built in subwoofer lays on proper 2.1 channel sound.

This is a speaker that’s built for the outdoor life too, with an IPX7 rating making it effectively waterproof. It’ll even float if you drop it in the swimming pool after a few too many negronis.

Make no mistake, this speaker is ready for those epic pool parties, with RGB lighting, a built-in grab handle, 24-hour battery life, strong Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, and the ability to charge your phone up via a USB-A port.

We gave the Soundcore Boom 2 a positive review, scoring it 4 out of 5. “It’s one of the most powerful speakers in its price bracket, and the sound quality definitely gives other speakers from big-name players a run for their money,” we concluded. “It’s a great option that’s easy to recommend.”

Needless to say, at this new deal price of £99, it’s an even more competitive Bluetooth speaker offering.

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Apple’s second generation AirPods have dropped to a price that makes them a perfect gift idea.

When they first hit the market, the AirPods (2nd generation), also known as the AirPods (2019) would set you back £199. Right now, Amazon is selling them for just £99.

They’re not the latest version of the AirPods on the market, but Apple still sells them as new for £129. You’re saving big whichever way you look at it, whether it’s half the launch price or a 23% discount on the current RRP.

We gave the AirPods (2nd generation) a positive 4 out of 5 review back in the day. “The second-generation AirPods are simple yet great wireless earphones that are a pleasure to use,” was our no-nonsense summary of their appeal.

It all comes down to a couple of key things that these true wireless earphones do really well. They have great battery life, a brilliant charging case that can be charged wirelessly, and fantastic connectivity with iPhones.

The latter can be attributed to Apple’s H1 chip, which supplies impressively snappy connection speeds. It also enabled “Hey Siri” support in Apple’s mainstream earbuds range, letting you control your music playback or check the weather without the need to physically touch the ‘buds themselves.

All in all, these remain a classy, easy-to-use set of earbuds. At this new sub-£100 price, they become a tempting purchase for that iPhone owner in your life lacking a personal audio solution. They’ll thank you for it.

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Sony has officially announced its new flagship phone, the Xperia 1 VI, and it’s lost arguably the most unique thing about the series.

The company’s flagship smartphone range has never been a huge seller, but it has always gone above and beyond on the spec front. Most notably, at least from a back-of-the-box vantage point, the Xperia 1 range has always had a 4K display, including with last year’s Sony Xperia 1 V.

That’s finally changed with the Sony Xperia 1 VI, which has switched to a 6.5-inch FHD+ OLED display, skipping the QHD+ and even so-called 1.5K resolutions altogether.

Admittedly, 4K has always felt like overkill in a smartphone form factor, but it made sense with Sony’s media heavyweight branding. The Xperia 1 VI was the niche phone for cinema buffs, and we kind of always liked that.

There’s been another step away from Sony’s cinema-first focus with the Xperia 1 VI ditching the signature tall and thin 21:9 aspect in favour of a more ‘normal’ 19.5:9. It means that the latest film releases will no longer fill the screen, though it will likely be better at handling day to day tasks like web browsing.

Sony is still pushing this display as a film buff’s dream, highlighting its ‘Powered by Bravia’ AI image adjustment technology, which apparently reproduces the image quality of Sony’s TV sets. It’s also the brand’s first LTPO screen, which means it’ll be far more energy efficient, while Sony has cranked the maximum brightness up 50%.

The stereo speakers, too, have apparently received a buff, while adding a Premium Audio Circuit to the 3.5mm wired headphone jack is a reassuringly Sony touch.

Elsewhere, the Sony Xperia 1 VI is all upgrades. The other signature element of this range has been its steady drip of camera innovations, and the Xperia 1 VI brings a new and improved telephoto camera to the table. We’re talking a 12MP optical telephoto lens with a superior zoom range of between 3.5x and 7.1x – or a focal length of between 85mm and 170mm.

The main 52MP Exmor T sensor is the same as before, though it remains unique to Sony. The company has applied its own AI magic this time, this time to improve its already class-leading autofocus and subject tracking.

Sony’s camera hardware has never been an issue, of course. While its camera UI has always been extremely powerful, it’s hardly been intuitive, spread across several separate apps. The company is supplying a “significant update” to the app with the Xperia 1 VI, with a more user-friendly interface, and all functionality rounded up into the main app.

There’s a 5,000 mAh battery, which Sony claims can support double the video playback (probably down to that new display), as well as support for Wi-Fi 7. It’s all powered by the latest flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor too, as you might expect, this time backed by vapour chamber cooling. Previous Xperia 1 phones could run a little hot.

The design looks very similar to previous Xperia 1 phones, with the same ridged industrial look, lozenge-shaped camera module, and textured rear that we’ve seen before.

The Sony Xperia 1 VI launches in Black, Platinum Silver, and Khaki Green this June, with preorders starting on Sony’s website today. If you were expecting that climb down from 4K to produce a cheaper phone, you’d be mistaken – it’ll still cost £1299 / €1399.

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Sony has just launched its newest lineup of smartphones, including the new Xperia 10 VI. Launched as a budget-friendly smartphone, the Xperia 10 VI is the successor to last year’s Xperia 10 V. 

While we haven’t reviewed the Xperia 10 VI yet, we have conclusively reviewed the Xperia 10 V and gave the handset a rather standard three-star rating. With this in mind, we’ve compared the specs of the Xperia 10 VI against our review of the 10 V to see if things have improved a year on.

Read on to learn more about the new Sony Xperia 10 VI and how it compares to 2023’s Xperia 10 V.

The Xperia 10 V is lighter

Both marketed as being lightweight smartphones, the older Xperia 10 V weighs just 159g and has a 6.1-inch display whereas the 10 VI weighs slightly more at 164g with its similar 6.1-inch display. Although this difference is negligible, with a mere 5g between the two that’ll be tough to notice in real-world use, it’s still worth noting.

Both have a 5000mAh battery for two-day battery life

Similarly to the above, both the 10 V and 10 VI are marketed as having an impressively long-lasting battery life, thanks to their 5000mAh battery capacity. Sony claimed the 10 V’s battery would provide non-stop movie playback for 34 hours, and our testing confirmed that it was a budget battery beast. 

In fact, our reviewer found that “even with a bit of light gaming and YouTube, we managed two days of comfortable use.” Considering there haven’t been any major changes with the battery in the newer 10 VI, we’d expect this to be the case this time around too.

Xperia 10 V1 sports the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1

The Xperia 10 V runs on Snapdragon 695 5G Mobile Platform which launched back in October 2021, and it’s beginning to show its age. In fact, our reviewer found that the chipset “just can’t keep up like some other top-tier phones in its mid-range price bracket can” and that was at launch a year ago.

Our reviewer noted home screen stuttering and a camera app that frequently crashed and couldn’t keep up, which all added up to the 10 V feeling “sluggish right out of the gate.”

Instead, the 10 VI runs on Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, which launched back in October 2022. So although not the newest or most powerful Snapdragon chipset, this promises a few upgrades to the predecessor. We haven’t yet had a chance to test the processor on this smartphone specifically, but it’s featured on the Honor Magic 6 Lite which performed well enough for everyday use.

Xperia 10 V has three cameras

Speaking of the camera, the 10 V has a trio of rear lenses whereas the 10 VI just had a duo. Our reviewer concluded that getting a good shot “isn’t hard” in the standard camera app, with “all three of the lenses (a rare sight in a budget phone) delivering solid results when lined up correctly.” However, he does note that the “noticeable delay between pressing the shutter button and the photo actually saving (before processing) is frankly disappointing”.

Instead, the 10 VI has two lenses with three focal lengths, 16mm, 26mm and 52mm, suggesting that one of the two lenses will double up as a 2x sensor. Although we haven’t yet tested its camera capabilities just yeta, we’re keen to see how it compares to its predecessor.

Both are currently the same price

The Sony Xperia 10 V comes in at £349 for a handset with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal memory. It is available in a choice of four colours: Sage Green, Black, White and Lavender. 

The new Sony Xperia 10 VI is available for pre-order now, with shipping to begin in June. It also starts at £349for an 8GB of RAM and 128GB internal memory handset and it’s available in a slightly more limited choice of three colours: Black, White and Blue.

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The past week or so has been packed with announcements and launches from some of the biggest tech brands, including Sony and Google. 

On 7th May, Google announced its newest smartphone in the Pixel lineup, the Pixel 8a, a budget-friendly alternative to the full-fat Pixel 8. Today (15th May), Sony has announced two new smartphones: the Xperia 1 VI and the more budget-friendlyXperia 10 VI.

But how do the two Android smartphones compare? Although we haven’t yet reviewed either the Sony Xperia 10 VI or Google Pixel 8a, we’ve compared the technical specifications and noted their differences here. 

Be sure to check back here, as we’ll update this once we’ve reviewed both handsets.

The Pixel 8a includes Google-exclusive AI capabilities

One of the biggest features of the entire Pixel 8 range, including the Pixel 8a, is the use of Google AI. AI has been cleverly integrated into numerous apps, including the camera and photo apps, but also everyday apps like recorder. 

Photos and video recordings can be enhanced with the help of Google AI editing tools, which include the Magic Editor which lets you change an image’s background, move objects and even delete photobombers with Magic Eraser. 

There’s also the inclusion of Circle to Search, a nifty feature that allows you to simply draw a circle around an image, text or video and, with Google AI, you should receive search results directly in the app you’re using. 

Although we haven’t tested Google AI’s capabilities with the new Pixel 8a yet, we have tried it with the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro and have been impressed.

It’s not just the Google Pixel that has AI inclusion. The Xperia 10 V1 is also fitted with Sony AI, which is predominantly used to enhance the camera and photo editing capabilities. Sony AI allows you to shoot with automatic AI settings, change the look of photos and even create AI-edited videos.

The Google Pixel 8a runs on Google Tensor G3

The Xperia 10 VI runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chipset which isn’t the newest or most powerful chipset around, but is a capable processor that’s still rolling out in new Android smartphones.The Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 offers a few impressive features, including support for over 60fps for a better gaming experience, 3x better AI performance than its predecessor and concurrent photo capture at gigapixel speeds.

The Pixel 8a instead runs on Google’s latest and most powerful chip, the Tensor G3, found across the entire Pixel range. With a focus on AI over pure performance, we concluded in our Pixel 8 review that the “Tensor G3 is more in line with 2022’s Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 than the … Snapdragon 8 Gen 2” and very much expect that to be the case here.

Google offers seven years of security and Feature Drop upgrades

Google is generous with upgrades and promises up to seven years of security and OS upgrades for the Pixel 8a, taking you up to Android 21.  

Sony, on the other hand, is only offering three OS upgrades and four years of security patches, falling quite short of the Pixel’s lofty heights. Even so, Sony has said that the battery should stay healthy for three years thanks to Sony’s charging technologies which are designed to preserve the battery’s health over time.

The Xperia 10 VI has a 21:9 aspect ratio

Both the Xperia 10 VI and Pixel 8a boast impressive display specs but the former takes the edge with the aspect ratio. The Pixel 8a’s 20:9 aspect ratio ratio offers an immersive viewing experience and allows for better multitasking, as there’s simply more screen real estate to play with. 

The Xperia 10 VI impressively surpasses this slightly with a 21:9 aspect ratio that’s perfectly suited to widescreen Hollywood blockbusters, though this does give the screen a tall-and-narrow look in comparison to the Pixel 8a. Regardless, if you know you’ll use your smartphone to watch series or movies then either of these handsets will do just fine.

The Xperia 10 VI is cheaper

Currently available to pre-order, ready to start shipping in June, the Xperia 10 VI has an RRP of £349/€399. The Pixel 8a is available now and starts from £499/€549.

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Sony has revealed its top-end flagship for 2024, the Xperia 1 VI, but how does it compare to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra? It is considered by many to be the best smartphone of 2024, after all.

Despite both being camera-focused flagships, there are key differences between the two, from camera tech to the use of AI and much more, that could sway your opinion one way or the other. If you’re struggling to decide between the Xperia 1 VI and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for your next upgrade, we’re here to help.

Here are five key differences between the Sony Xperia 1 VI and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. If you’re curious about what’s new from this year’s flagship, take a look at our Sony Xperia 1 VI vs Xperia 1 V comparison. 

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has a more versatile camera setup

Both the Sony Xperia 1 VI and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra are camera-focused flagships with capable camera setups, but the Galaxy S24 Ultra has the edge here.

That’s because it has an impressive camera setup comprised of four lenses; a 200MP main camera, 10MP 3x telephoto, 50MP 5x periscope and a 12MP ultrawide lens, essentially providing a range of 0.5x to 10x and beyond – all the way to 100x with Samsung’s digital zoom tech. 

It’s a capable system that we were very impressed with in our review, calling it one of the best camera systems of any smartphone in 2024. 

The Sony Xperia 1 VI, on the other hand, sports a 52MP main camera alongside a 12MP 3.5x periscope lens and a matching 12MP ultrawide lens. While the periscope lens provides an optical range of up to 7.1x, it’s not quite as expansive as Samsung’s competing ultrawide. The main and periscope lenses are also of a lower resolution, limiting just how good its digital zoom offering can be in comparison. 

The Sony Xperia 1 VI is better for pro-level photographers

While Samsung has a more versatile camera setup overall, there’s no doubt that the Sony Xperia 1 VI is the one to go for if you’re a pro-level photographer or videographer.

Not only does the phone offer the ability to double up as extra storage, a wireless viewfinder and more for recent models of Sony Alpha DSLR, but it also offers a range of advanced on-device shooting modes to get the best out of the camera system.

These were previously split into various apps, including Camera Pro, Video Pro and even Cinema Pro, but they’ve all been bundled into the main Camera app on the Xperia 1 VI, making them even easier to access. 

The exact functionality depends on the mode in question, but it essentially provides granular control over every element of smartphone photography, and when it comes to video, it can make use of LUTs, record in LOG and much more. 

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra does offer a Pro mode for camera capture, but it doesn’t quite go as far as Sony’s offering. 

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra boasts Galaxy AI capabilities

One of the key features of the Galaxy S24 Ultra is Galaxy AI – so much so that it took centre stage over the hardware at the phone’s reveal back in January. It’s an impressive suite of AI-powered features that all take place entirely on device, allowing for cool functionality that’s fast and doesn’t need an internet connection to work.

The features range from AI transcription from voice notes to tech that’ll summarise chunks of text, as well as real-time translation tech for phone calls, advanced editing tools and much more. Though the results aren’t always perfect, it’s one of the best uses of GenAI on smartphones so far.

The Xperia 1 VI also has AI smarts, dubbed Sony AI, but it powers behind-the-scenes tech like the camera-focused human pose estimation tech and AI animal eye recognition, as well as improving connectivity and audio performance, rather than offering flashy big features users can call on at any point. 

The Sony Xperia 1 VI has a high-quality headphone jack

Headphone jacks were found on practically every high-end phone in the mid-2010s, but as wireless Bluetooth headphones surged in popularity, manufacturers began ditching the jack. 

Everyone, that is, apart from Sony (and a few budget smartphone makers). Sony has continued to include a 3.5mm headphone jack in practically every Xperia device around, and that continues with the Xperia 1 VI. 

In fact, Sony claims that this year’s flagship has a new premium audio circuit for its 3.5mm headphone jack that should further improve the high-res audio experience on offer. 

With that all said, it shouldn’t be surprising to learn that the competing Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra doesn’t offer a headphone jack, meaning you’ll have to get a USB-C adapter or opt for wireless headphones in future. 

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has better long-term software support

Another area where Samsung has Sony beat is with its long-term software promise for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. While previous Samsung phones already had one of the best promises around, committing to 5 OS upgrades and 4 years of security patches, that was boosted to a whopping 7 OS upgrades with the S24 series.

That means that the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra will eventually receive the Android 21 update, continuing to enjoy all the benefits that come with yearly OS upgrades.

The Xperia 1 VI, on the other hand, has a rather paltry promise of 3 OS upgrades and 4 years of security patches, matching that of phones that cost a fraction of the price.

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Sony has revealed the Xperia 1 VI, but how does it compare to last year’s flagship, the Sony Xperia 1 V?

While the two sport a largely similar look, there are a few key differences on offer from this year’s Xperia flagship, from screen tech to camera technology and even performance. These are important elements that could sway your buying decision one way or the other. 

While we’ve not yet reviewed the Xperia 1 VI, we’ve spent a lot of time with the Xperia 1 V. With that in mind, here’s how the two compare on paper ahead of the Xperia 1 VI going on sale later this month. 

The Sony Xperia 1 V has a higher-res display

You might assume that, being the newer phone of the two, the Xperia 1 VI has a higher-res screen than its predecessor – but that’s not the case.

You see, while the Xperia 1 V had a 6.5-inch 4K display, this year’s Xperia 1 VI has a 6.5-inch FHD+ panel in its place. It’s easy to see why Sony ditched the 4K screen, as it came at a cost to gameplay performance and overall battery life, but it is a surprise to see a drop all the way to FHD+ rather than the QHD+ seen by similarly premium alternatives. 

That’s not the only difference either; the Xperia 1 VI also ditches the traditional 21:9 aspect ratio employed by Xperia phones, instead offering a similar 19.5:9 aspect ratio as many competing smartphones. While this means that widescreen Hollywood blockbusters will no longer fill the screen completely, it does mean that the 1 VI is better suited to 16:9 content on apps like TikTok and Instagram. 

The 1 VI’s screen also boasts LTPO tech for the first time, allowing the screen to drop down to as little as 1Hz dynamically to boost battery life, and it’s 50% brighter too, so it’s not an all-round downgrade by any means – but the fact remains that the Xperia 1 V has a higher-res screen better suited to true 4K content. 

The Sony Xperia 1 VI has a better telephoto camera

While the Sony Xperia 1 VI and Xperia 1 V share the same excellent main camera sensor – a 52MP Exmor T sensor that outputs at 48MP used only by Sony – it has upgraded the phone’s telephoto camera this time around. 

More specifically, the Xperia 1 VI has a new 12MP optical telephoto lens with an extended zoom range between 3.5x and 7.1x. As well as being the ideal sensor for portrait photography, complete with improved edge detection capabilities, the telephoto sensor can double up as a high-quality macro camera with subjects around 4cm away. 

Compared to the Xperia 1 V’s 12MP telephoto that offered a shorter 3.5x – 5.2x range, it’s a decent boost. Elsewhere, however, both share the same 12MP ultrawide lens, so the only real difference between the two systems is the telephoto camera.

The Sony Xperia 1 VI has a simpler approach to camera software

Sony’s top-end Xperia 1 devices are aimed at pro-level photographers and videographers not only because they play exceptionally well with Sony Alpha cameras, doubling up as both a remote control and a viewfinder, but because of the granular control they provide users with when it comes to smartphone photography and videography.

The issue with previous Xperia 1 entries, including the V, is that the functionality was split over several apps, and it was a rather confusing experience with a slightly different UI in each depending on what the focus was. There was Photo Pro, Video Pro and even Cinema Pro, along with dedicated audio recording apps, just to name a few.

Thankfully, Sony has simplified its offering with the Xperia 1 VI. It still boasts the same granular control over its camera system as its predecessors, but they’ve all been rolled into the main Camera app for easier access. As with most other smartphone camera apps, you now only need to swipe between the various modes for quick access.

We asked Sony if the updated Camera app will also come to the Xperia 1 V via a software update in future, but the company refused to comment, so it’s an Xperia 1 VI exclusive for now.  

The Sony Xperia 1 VI is better for gaming

The newer Xperia 1 VI doesn’t only have an advantage over its predecessor with the use of the newer, faster Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in place of the Gen 2 – it’s also the first Xperia device to boast vapour chamber cooling inside.

This is a feature often found in gaming phones, as it allows the phone to more effectively dissipate heat generated by the chipset in particularly demanding situations. It should translate to not only a cooler phone to the touch when gaming, but one that’s more stable than the Xperia 1 V over longer sessions. 

Combined with a healthy dose of 12GB of RAM, 256GB or 512GB of storage and the possibility of expanding by as much as 1.5TB via microSD, it’s undoubtedly the better of the two smartphones for mobile gamers.

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OPINION: Google I/O was almost entirely focused on its Gemini AI model’s takeover of its most important products. It may not have been the most exciting showcase of AI’s potential, but it’s the first to leave me feeling enthusiastic rather than icky and scared.

I’ve seen generative AI as a personal and existential threat ever since it emerged as this decade’s most disruptive tech trend. I’ve been incredibly sceptical about its ability to be a net benefit for humanity now and in the future.

As tech journalists we’ve seen Microsoft et al pitch a future where no-one clicks our websites because search has neatly summarised our collective words into an aggregated paragraph, complete with a link to the shopping page for the product we’ve spent weeks testing.

I’ll often be reminded that ChatGPT can do what I do as a copywriter, but in seconds. Ask a graphic designer who creates logos for people’s businesses. They’ll tell you the same.

Reporting on that stuff in real time has felt like writing my own career obituary. And people wonder why I became a yoga teacher as a side hustle!

However, during Google I/O on May 14, I began to see a side of AI that could aid my personal and professional life, rather than hinder it. It’s one that could help me be more productive and achieve complex tasks in double quick time. And no-one else’s livelihood needs to suffer.

All benefits, no thievery

Take the series of Google Gemini tools coming to Android 15, Google Photos and Google Search, for example. I was particularly impressed with the new Google Lens tool that enables a video of a tech issue to be uploaded along with a voice query relating to the problem.

Gemini could identify the model, analyse the nature of the issue, and spit out a load of text that might help you with troubleshooting the problem. This potentially eliminates a dozen web other searches and ensures people don’t have to spend ages looking for the technical term, like the tone arm in this image below.

The ability to make a deeply personal vegan meal plan for the week (and easily adjust it) could save me a couple of hours on a Sunday morning while I’m watching the football and – due to the complex potential within search – save me some money too.

The Gemini Overlay in Android 15 will leverage the multimodal elements of the generative AI model to “Ask This Video” within YouTube as a shortcut to the information or the portion of the video required.

Again, much of this comes with the caveat that Google eventually finds a way to compensate the people who wrote those troubleshooting guides, recipes, and created the videos to gave Gemini the knowledge in the first place.

The tools within Workspace apps like Gmail and Docs look ever so useful in terms of harnessing the information that can otherwise take ages to find.

Instead of scouring your Gmail inbox, you can ask Gemini very specific questions about the content. I can bring up my most recent invoices, find my upcoming deadlines, summarise a lengthy brief. It’s much more powerful than the Google Assistant ever was and it’ll help me make my living without screwing anyone out of theirs.

From distorting to enhancing reality

I’ve been wary of some of Google’s AI photography tools in recent years. Things like Magic Eraser and Magic Editor don’t sit well with me because their entire purpose is to completely distort reality. In my view, these images cease to be a photograph and become just an embellishment of a former reality.

However, the new Ask Photos tool is a joy because it harnesses content you’ve already organically created and makes it more meaningful and more useful thanks to proactive prompts.

Hell yeah, create me a lovely little album of all the best places my wife and I have been in 15 years together. Show me one photo of my dog per week we’ve had him.

How many times are you endlessly scrolling through your photo library looking for a singular picture or piece of information? Ask Photos can eradicate this.

This is a vision for generative AI I’m far more comfortable with. It’s not quite as mindblowing and future-altering, but it’s something that can shave minutes off frustrating, time-consuming daily tasks. It’s something that can harness content I’ve already organically created and show me the best of it within just a few seconds.

I could get used to this. Perhaps.

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Google has announced its Gemini AI assistant will be an intrinsic part of the Android operating system from Android 15, bringing a ton of perceived benefits to users.

Breaking Google I/O tradition the company decided against revealing Android 15 in full, but did tell us what’ll underpin the new version of the operating system.

During the keynote, the company explained how a new overlay will enable contextual interaction with key apps on your Android device. Circle to Search is getting better, while it’ll also be better at weeding out potentially dangerous spam calls.

Google says there’s plenty more to come from Gemini within Android, which for all intents and purposes will replace the existing Assistant in time, but here are the key new features we’ll get later this year.

Gemini Overlay

During the Google I/O keynote address on May 14, Google said Android 15 will feature a new Gemini overlay capable of helping you interact with whichever Android app you’re currently using.

So, for example, Google says you’ll be able to “Ask This Video” in YouTube in order to find the specific information you’re looking for without watching the whole thing.

For Gemini Advanced users “Ask This PDF” will be more powerful than the existing text search function, enabling users to pull out exactly what they need from the document.

Google says this is part of the mission to give users dynamic suggestions based on what’s on your display.

Google also says it’ll be possible to drag and drop images generated by Gemini into your correspondence in Gmail and Google Messages. The presenter during Google I/O told Gemini to help it create a pickle playing tennis in answer to a request from a friend to play pickleball.

New Circle to Search tools

Google is giving the excellent new Circle to Search feature on Android to harness the information contained in just about anything on your screen – including helping with homework. Effectively, it’ll be fantastic for cheating on maths tests.

“When students circle a prompt they’re stuck on, they’ll get step-by-step instructions to solve a range of physics and math word problems without leaving their digital info sheet or syllabus,” Google says. “Later this year, Circle to Search will be able to help solve even more complex problems involving symbolic formulas, diagrams, graphs and more.”

Better scam detection

Google says this Gemini Nano-powered feature could cut down on fraud by deleting “patterns commonly associated with scams” in real time during phone calls.

So if someone from “the bank” asks you to transfer some money or requests personal information, you’re more likely to be alerted to a “likely scam” and be prompted to end the call.

There’ll also be a helpful message informing you “banks will never ask you to move your money to keep it safe.”

Big TalkBack Boost

Google TalkBack, which helps visually impaired users identify images on their phone, is getting a helping hand thanks to Gemini AI. Later this year, the multimodal capabilities will enable clearer descriptions of what’s happening within the image. This will help, Google says, with shopping online or when receiving a pic sent by family.

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Google has announced a host of generative AI improvements coming to Google Search courtesy of its new Gemini 1.5 Pro model.

The improvements include new AI overviews, a new ‘plan ahead’ tool for things like meal planning, and the ability to show Gemini a video you’ve recorded as a shortcut to resolve an issue. The latter sounds like it could be a game changer.

Announced during the Google I/O keynote, the new generative AI capabilities come courtesy of Gemini’s new multi-step reasoning capabilities, planning and multimodality. Google will enable users to customise the results from the original yield to a simplified result or a more detailed “break it down” page.

Here’s the best new Search features the company announced today:

AI Overviews

Limited to Google Labs users until now, the impressive AI Overviews will be available to everyone in the United States from today (more counties coming soon) while the ability to answer more complex questions coming soon.

For example, with a single search, a Google user could ask a question like “find the best yoga or pilates studios in Boston and show me details on their intro offers, and walking time from Beacon Hill.”

Gemini would easily handle this complex query thanks to the multistep reasoning, enabling users to surface the studios, complete with reviews, details of the intro offer in a knowledge box, while offering a map detailing how to get there on foot.

Video troubleshooting

Google will soon enable users to show Gemini a video you’ve shot on your smartphone in order to ask a question and solve a problem, making use of that multimodal capability in Google Gemini 1.5 Pro.

So, to use Google’s example, if the tone arm on your turntable won’t stay in place, you could shoot a video, upload it to Google Lens, ask a question with your voice and receive text information with context specific to that model on how to fix it.

Instead of having to search for the manufacturer, the model, the issue, and more Google will be able to offer detailed troubleshooting steps for the issue. Google says it will “save you the time and trouble of finding the right words to describe this issue, and you’ll get an AI Overview with steps and resources to troubleshoot.”

Plan Ahead

Fancy creating a customised meal plan for the week without the hassle of researching tons of recipes? Google Gemini will have you covered and in your context. So, if you’re looking for a meal plan that saves you money, is suitable for preparing in a college dorm and is microwavable, you can surface a detailed plan in seconds.

“With planning capabilities directly in Search, you can get help creating plans for whatever you need, starting with meals and vacations,” Google says in a blog post. “Search for something like “create a 3 day meal plan for a group that’s easy to prepare,” and you’ll get a starting point with a wide range of recipes from across the web.”

If you see something you don’t like the look of, Google says users will be able to make adjustments like specifying a vegetarian dish or something healthier, in place of a cheeseburger by clicking a “replace” button.

When finalised, the meal plan can be exported to Google Docs or Gmail for shopping or sharing.

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What is Google Gemini Ask Photos? At Google I/O the company revealed a new way to leverage your photo library. Here’s how it’ll work.

One of the first key announcements in Google’s AI-dominated I/O keynote event was ‘Ask Photos’. The tool, which is rolling out to the Photos app in the coming months, will enable users to ask the AI assistant to search their photo library to surface complex results – far beyond the usual keyword searching.

Google said during the keynote that over 6 billion photos are uploaded to Google Photos every day and Gemini can leverage those to cut down on scrolling and deliver results across your entire library, with extremely deep context.

For example, via a new tab within the Google Photos app, the user could ask: “Show me the best photo from each national park I’ve visited” and Gemini would yield precisely that, without the need to scroll through the entire library, or search for specific locations.

The response is incredibly detailed. For example, it might tell users: “Here’s a great photo from each of the 22 national parks you’ve visited around the world, including: Experiencing the Amazon at Yasuni, Peaks and lakes of the UK, Each of Utah’s ‘Mighty 5’ national parks.”

During the keynote address, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai asked Gemini to bring up photos of a young girl called Lucia through the lens of her swimming journey. From her first dip and swimming lessons, to her first swimming certificate. It would be surfaced in an album, cutting plenty of time searching via keywords.

Pichai also spoke of the ability to ask Gemini “what’s my license plate number again?” Gemini will search the library for pictures of cars, identify what it deems to be your current vehicle and show you an image of the license plate.

Google says it’ll help users plan original birthday parties for their keys by asking Gemini of the themes they’ve already used. It may respond: “Here are the themes from Lena’s last 4 birthdays: 3rd: A princess celebration, 4th: Under-the-sea with mermaids, 5th & 6th: Two magical unicorn parties.“

Google says the key is the ability to understand the question and complex natural language terms in order to conduct a more sophisticated search of the library. Keywords, places, people and dates are picked up, but also concepts like “themed birthday parties”

The second element is the crafting of the response, which comes through studying the results of the search, assigning relevance (sometimes by reading text within the images) and choosing which photos are surfaced in the results.

Google says the final element is to ensure responses are safe and appropriate. It’ll also respond to your corrections and additional context and remember for next time.

You’ll be able to try Google Gemini Ask Photos this summer.

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Another week and another TV launch, as Panasonic unfurled its banners and presented a preview of its 2024 range.

And despite rumours circulating that perhaps Panasonic wasn’t as interested in the TV market as it has been in the past, it brought out its entire range of models for the UK and Europe at a preview event in Dusseldorf, including its flagship Z95A OLED TV all the way down to its HD Ready 24-inch model.

As has been previously announced, Panasonic has teamed up with Amazon to provide Fire TV across its premium TVs, which means its My Home Screen interface has been quitetly shuffled off to a peaceful sleep, especially as the remainder of Panasonic’s TVs will take up either Google TV or TiVO depending on where you’re based.

Both the Z95A and Z93A will feature Panasonic’s HCX Pro AI Processor MKII, which appears to be a big enough jump to allow each model to support Dolby Vision IQ with Precision Detail; a feature that until now only certain LG OLEDs were powerful enough to support.

There’s also the 360 Soundscape Pro, which has been tuned by the expertes over at Technics to ensure “immersive 3D surround sound” from a flatscreen TV.

More OLEDs appear (five in total) with the Z90A, Z85A, and Z80A. The first model includes the Master OLED Pro panel and the same processing that’s found in the flagship mode. The Z85A comes with 120Hz refresh rate, and the advanced MkII HCX Pro AI processor.

The step down Z80A is, we believe, more of a standard WRGB OLED TV, and gets the less powerful HCX Processor. While prices haven’t announced yet, we’d expect this model to hit a fairly affordable price for an OLED.

Next up are the LED models, of which the W95A tops the range. This is effectively replacing the MX950 from 2023 with its Mini LED panel for a brighter image, and better processing with the MkII processor onboard. Like with the OLEDs the Fire TV interface is built-in, enabling Alexa voice control, and you get premium game features too, with the 144Hz Game Mode Extreme (for PC gamers) and the colour accurate True Game mode.

The W90A is a Full Array Local Dimming (FALD) model, keeping the same processor and gaming features as the model above.

We swiftly move onto the W80 and W60, the former supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ formats, as well as the colour accurate Filmmaker mode; with Fire TV build into this model to offer a wide range of streaming options. The W60 is powered by TiVo, and will offer just as wide a streaming experience with its comprehensive line-up of content.

Lastly, there’s the HD models in the S55/S50, S45/S40 and N30. The top S-series models come with Fire TV built-in, with the step down models get TiVo. If you choose to get the N40, this is primarily a TV to watch TV on and doesn’t come with smart features.

Pricing and availability haven’t been revealed yet, but we’d imagine Panasonic’s latest line-up will launch towards the summer months as has been the case for the last several years.

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Samsung is reportedly having second thoughts about releasing a more affordable Galaxy Z Fold 6 foldable.

Back in January we reported on industry tittle tattle suggesting that Samsung was looking to introduce a new cheaper variant of its full-sized foldable smartphone in 2024.

This was followed in February by claims that the manufacturer was actually looking to go in completely the opposite direction, and release an ‘Ultra’ model of the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

If you’re sensing some indecision on Samsung’s part, then a new report from South Korean website The Elec would seem to support that. According to this fresh report, Samsung has now fully reconsidered its 2024 foldable plans, and has ditched – or at least delayed – its plans to launch a cheaper foldable.

Apparently, the manufacturer has been unable to make its cheaper foldable prototype as thin as rival efforts from Huawei. It was thought that by omitting the technology needed for S Pen support, Samsung would be able to create a device that was lighter on your pocket in every sense, but that hasn’t borne fruit as yes.

Besides this lack of a crucial differentiating factor (aside from the price), the report cites general industry uncertainty as a reason for Samsung’s hesitancy.

There’s no mention of the Ultra model at all, though claims that the company will only release two foldables in 2024 – a Galaxy Z Fold 6 and a Galaxy Z Flip 6 – would suggest that this rumour too won’t be coming to pass. At least not in 2024.

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Anyone in the market for a high quality set of discounted headphones before they head off on their travels should pay attention to this deal.

We’re entering summer holiday season, and what better way to ease the travel chaos than to invest in a new high-quality set of noise cancelling headphones, especially at a discounted price? Thankfully, Amazon has got you covered.

The retailer is currently selling the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless Special Edition headphones for just £219.99. That’s a whopping 37% discount on the £349 RRP.

We tested the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless a while back, and awarded them a hugely positive 4.5 out of 5 score. We called the it “an excellent pair of wireless headphones that deliver a balanced, neutral presentation, long battery life and very good noise cancellation”.

Some of the performance even strays into “class-leading” territory, with the 60-hour battery life in particular offering twice that of the Sony WH-1000XM5. They’re also extremely comfortable to wear, with deep cushioned earpieces and a padded headband meaning you’ll be able to put that stellar battery life to the test

One of our few criticisms of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless was that it was a little drab compared to its rivals. This Special Edition model goes some way to addressing that, offering a fresh Black Copper finish with eye-catching metallic accents.

Amazon is calling this a ‘Limited time deal’, so we wouldn’t hang around for too long if you wanted to grab these stylish cans.

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