I could hardly contain my excitement when I saw Apple announce a huge iPad Mini upgrade with an OLED display and a totally redesigned speaker system; yet, a quick online look revealed I'm in the minority.

As someone who spends more time than they'd like to admit on long-haul flights to attend events around the world, or on (often delayed) five-hour train trips down to Cornwall to visit family, the concept of a pint-sized OLED iPad with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support was the news I've been waiting years for.

I've been using an 11-inch iPad Air M1 for about three years at this point, and while it's served me well – in fact, I've watched entire seasons of The Day Of The Jackal and The Pitt on this tablet – the fact is that I am starting to itch for an upgrade.

While the Award-winning iPad Air M4 would probably do me fine, just knowing that the OLED iPad Pro exists is enough to send me into a spiral.

However, I don't need an all-powerful M5 chip, nor can I justify the price, so I've been in iPad limbo while I await a worthy successor to my trusty Air.

So the new iPad Mini has become my top choice, as it gives me the picture and sound upgrades I want without the Pro-level features and price tag I don't need. Simple, right?

Wrong. This new petite iPad has caused serious discourse online due to Apple not including its ProMotion high refresh rate technology; essentially, this iPad is running at 60Hz rather than a variable 1Hz to 120Hz.

While this feature was once reserved for Apple's Pro-series iPhones, iPads and even Macs, it can now be found on the standard iPhone 17, so we'd hoped that Apple had turned a corner.

Alas, it appears that's not the case. Despite the iPad Mini now touting a more advanced display, we're not getting an advanced refresh rate to match.

This has sent tech enthusiasts and Redditors into a frenzy, with many touting the iPad Mini as a disappointment that's best avoided.

There are even rumours that Apple has outfitted the Mini with a 120Hz display but is intentionally limiting it to 60Hz using software, although I should stress that this hasn't been proven.

So, has this killed my excitement for the new iPad Mini? If I'm being brutally honest, I know how Apple works; I wasn't expecting a 120Hz display, and therefore I'm not really that disappointed.

While I would have been overjoyed to have a high refresh rate display for smoother scrolling and more responsive gaming, I also don't think that 60Hz figure is a total dealbreaker, especially given how I use my iPad.

Hopefully this won't come as a surprise, but I care most about picture and sound quality, and the upgrade that an OLED screen will bring to black depth, contrast, and brightness alone – Apple says that this new Mini's peak brightness is more than twice that of its predecessor – is plenty for watching movies and TV shows.

I understand the frustration, and it will feel like a step back when it comes to gaming and switching from my iPhone 17 Pro's 120Hz display. That said, once I find my streaming service of choice and hit play, that 60Hz limit won't phase me, and I'll just be enjoying the inherent benefits of OLED instead.

Interestingly, Apple seems to be on a bit of an OLED kick at the moment, as it has also just announced a MacBook Pro with an OLED touchscreen. If I had my way, then the iPad Air would be the next to get an OLED overhaul; but that's a conversation for another day.

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Read our iPad Air 13-inch M4 review

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And read our iPhone 18 Pro review

The Apple TV 4K 4th Generation was announced just over two weeks ago. Now, I'm not totally smitten with it due to the substantial price tag and the fact that I can access most new features via an older Apple TV 4K, but there are some genuinely interesting upgrades worth noting.

The most intriguing is the ability to pair the streamer with four HomePods to create a wireless Dolby Atmos surround sound system, akin to the Sony Bravia Theatre Quad or Valerion Thunderbeat systems we've tested previously.

You can mix and match HomePods, provided the respective front and back pairs match; essentially, that means you can choose from four HomePod 2s, four HomePod Mini 2s, or two HomePod 2s as fronts with two HomePod Mini 2s as surrounds.

As a recent HomePod convert, this is music to my home cinema-loving ears. Apple's audio tuning has been consistently excellent across all of the HomePods we've tested, and we know that the HomePod 2 works well in a pair for movie watching. Adding two more for surrounds is a no-brainer to me.

There is, however, one thing I wish Apple would either make itself or allow us to add to this system from a third-party manufacturer. That is, of course, a subwoofer.

Imagine a HomePod subwoofer. I already know the HomePod can produce impressively deep, rich bass for its size, but I really want a dedicated channel to take on home cinema duties – something that can really go to town with explosions and bass-heavy sci-fi sound effects.

Will Apple make one? Given that it's taken six years for it to launch a HomePod Mini 2, I highly doubt it; but what if Apple let us add a subwoofer from another company to its HomePod setup?

Admittedly, that's a very un-Apple move, but the company has recently partnered with LG to produce a range of smart home devices. LG also makes a modular, wireless subwoofer as part of its Sound Suite family of home audio devices, and we praised its "deep, powerful bass" in our review.

Adding an LG W7 subwoofer, or dare I say a Sonos Sub 4 or Sub Mini, to a HomePod system could be the answer here, although I suspect that Apple won't agree with me.

It's likely banking on the convenience and ease of plonking four HomePods in your living room and hooking them up seamlessly to your Apple TV 4K being enough. I doubt it wants you faffing around with a third-party app from a rival or having to look into extra connectivity options.

I also presume that adding compatibility for a third-party wireless soundbar is much easier said than done, so I'm really hoping Apple makes its own HomePod subwoofer if it does ever choose to go down this route.

Either way, I'm not holding my breath for now, but if Apple's quad HomePod system proves to be a success, then you never know what we might see further down the line.

MORE:

Read our full Apple HomePod 2 review

As well as our Apple TV 4K 2022 review

Apple HomePod 2 vs HomePod Mini: what are the differences

Fresh off the back of its Apple TV 4K 4th Generation and HomePod Mini 2 double whammy announcement last week, Apple has unveiled its latest home cinema in a hand, the new iPad Mini.

The new iPad Mini comes with a whole host of new picture and sound upgrades that are sure to have on-the-go cinephiles salivating.

The iPad Mini 2026 is the first model outside of the Pro series to feature an OLED display, with Apple's Super Retina XDR technology on board for sharper visuals and richer colours.

The Mini also gets less mini with a new 8.7-inch display (up from 8.3 inches on the previous generation), although the size of the tablet actually stays the same thanks to Apple shrinking the bezels by an impressive 24 per cent.

According to Apple, the display can go as low as one nit and reach a peak brightness of 1200 nits – that's twice the brightness of the previous model – and it sports a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio.

Apple is also offering its Nano Texture display coating, which can be found on the iPad Pro, and more recently the iPhone Duo, for reduced display glare. You'll need to spring for the pricier 256GB or 512GB configurations to add that option, though, as the 128GB model is only available with a glossy display finish.

The Californian tech giant hasn't confirmed if the Mini is sporting the same brightness-boosting Tandem OLED technology as the Pro, but we do know that ProMotion (Apple's high refresh rate technology) is, unfortunately, not on board.

This means that the new iPad Mini is stuck with a 60Hz refresh rate. Thankfully, it retains support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG.

While the display upgrade is monumental, what's under it is arguably even more impressive. Apple has introduced an all-new Acoustic Display speaker system on the iPad Mini. This features specially-designed under-display woofers that are "paired through the display" to produce "punchier bass and more volume".

Custom tweeters, which are hidden beneath the display, for crisper and clearer high frequencies, are also onboard. Dolby Atmos support is also sticking around, both via supported headphones and through the Acoustic Display system.

This is a first for an iPad, and we can't think of any other tablets to use this type of sound system. Our nearest frame of reference is Sony's actuator-based sound systems in its OLED TVs, which vibrate the panel to produce sound in a seemingly similar fashion.

This speaker system means the new iPad has no speaker holes, helping it achieve IP67 water- and dust-resistance. It's also now just 5.4mm thin and weighs 255g or 263g for the wi-fi and cellular versions, respectively.

Inside the new iPad Mini is Apple's A20 Pro chip, which it has borrowed directly from the Award-winning iPhone 18 Pro. It features support for Siri AI via iPadOS 27 and is rated to be powerful enough for heavier workloads, including video editing and gaming.

The 128GB and 256GB models feature a five‑core CPU with two super cores and three efficiency cores and a 16‑core Neural Engine, whereas the 512GB model introduces a hexa-core CPU and a Dual 16‑core Neural Engine for increased AI efficiency.

On sale in two dashing finishes – Midnight and Starlight – the new iPad Mini is available to pre-order now starting at £699 / $699 / AU$1099, with availability starting on the 6th of November.

That's a substantial step up from the £499 / $499 / AU$799 launch price of the previous model, but with a global RAM crisis on our hands, this increase isn't unexpected.

MORE:

Check out our iPad Air 13-inch M4 review

As well as our list of the best tablets

And find the best streaming services for movies and TV here

We’re living in a golden age of headphones. More specifically, we’re very much in the halcyon days of wireless headphones and earbuds. Despite talk of how Gen Z are turning their backs on Bluetooth in favour of traditional wired in-ears, the wire-free train continues to roll on at breakneck speed.

Not only are wire-free headphones more popular than they’ve ever been, but they’re also improving in terms of their sheer quality.

That self-evident truth was thrown into sharp relief following our 2026 What Hi-Fi? Awards testing, during which the bar was once again nudged ever-upwards by a diverse spread of class-leading options from the likes of Sony, Focal and Sennheiser.

Rising standards

Standards continue to climb across the board. The Sony WH-CH720N felt like unbeatable value at their £100 / $100 price tag, yet the follow-up WH-CH730N proved that canny sonic tuning – plus a few new features – could elevate excellence to new heights.

The Sennheiser HDB 630, meanwhile, might be the best pair of wireless headphones we’ve yet heard at the £400 / $500 / AU$1000 mark, while the Focal Bathys MG are stretching the limits of wire-free performance for those lucky enough to be able to afford them. £999 / $1299 / AU$2300 isn't exactly pocket change.

Those are just the 2026 Award-winners. There’s a pair of headphones or wireless earbuds to suit every need and niche, from outstanding all-rounders (the Sony WH-1000XM6) to noise-cancelling heavyweights from Bose and funky, feature-laden offerings courtesy of JBL.

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), for instance, aren’t quite the last word in sound quality, but their excellent fit and well-rounded feature set give them an appeal that could tempt some away from the Award-winning (but fussy fitting) Sony WF-1000XM6.

The list of competing brands really could go on for as long as there’s space on our site to write it. When you consider the fact that, just in the past year or so, we’ve tested samples from Focal, Sennheiser, Sony, Technics, Bose, Noble, Apple, Sonos, Soundcore, Earfun, JBL, Philips, Samsung, Shokz, Nothing, and Huawei, you begin to realise just how much stock companies are placing in the wireless market.

More competition, better performance

That competition is clearly driving innovation and development. It’s not a hard-and-fast rule, but what’s been remarkable over the past few years is just how much better some of the 'also-ran ’ brands have become as they bid to knock the likes of Sony from its perch.

At last year’s Awards, pretty much every set of wireless in-ears and over-ears was made by Sony. This year, things look rather different thanks to winners from Sennheiser, Bose and Focal.

If manufacturers aren’t quite winning Awards, they’re doggedly improving their respective star ratings year on year. The Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 4 earbuds, for instance, were a serious statement of intent from a brand that, in the past, didn’t have the talent to compete with its cost-comparable rivals.

Those latest flagships, however, are by far the best buds the Korean brand has ever made, and as we concluded in our review: “Samsung is taking sound seriously, and it shows.

"The flagship Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are Samsung's best-sounding wireless earbuds yet, offering a clear, agile performance that’s backed by a whole host of slick features.” Samsung used to scrape three-star reviews. For its next pair of flagships, we’re expecting the full five-star haul.

Then there’s Sennheiser, which has always been there or thereabouts in terms of sonic performance, finally retaking its seat at the top table with the peerless HDB 630. That was no fluke – the slightly less premium Momentum 5 True Wireless earbuds and Momentum 5 Wireless over-ears provided the German brand’s deeply competitive nature with two glowing five-star reviews.

Sennheiser is back, and its rivals should be taking note.

This is before we even start to consider the vast array of features to which we’re all becoming accustomed. A few years ago, not a single pair of headphones had Auracast sharing or Bluetooth Multipoint – now it’s par for the course.

Wired listening via USB-C is becoming de rigueur, as is fast charging for granting hours of extra playtime from mere minutes of juice. Fail to include such features in your spec sheet, and you’ll simply be left behind by the competition.

Where do we go from here?

The logical question, of course, is where do we go from here?

Competition is only going to grow stronger as rivals compete to carve out a slice of territory from Apple and the other major players in this space, with the appetite for wire-free headphones only growing stronger in the face of the rather niche wired revival. Trust us, they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.

Sound quality, naturally, should define who takes the ultimate crown. It’s never quite that simple – Apple’s colossal market share is based as much on style, cultural cachet, marketing and convenience as it is on pure sonic talent – but with so much choice, customers should be in the strongest position yet to get the most outstanding sound their budget allows. Provided they do their research, of course.

Opinions are somewhat split on exactly how and where wireless headphones will improve, with speculation ranging from personalised AI-powered tuning algorithms to more efficient Bluetooth codecs and a greater focus on sustainability.

Wi-fi headphones have been mooted as the future – the Xiaomi Buds 5 Pro Wi-Fi are already on the market – but they’re yet to fully take hold as companies grapple with the practicalities of maintaining a steady connection outside a home network.

Either way, expect this current golden age to be the mere tip of the iceberg. If all goes well, we’ll look back at 2026 as little more than a stepping stone to true wireless audio Nirvana.

MORE:

The What Hi-Fi? Awards 2026 winners have been revealed!

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These are the best headphones you can buy

I remember when Apple announced the HomePod back in 2018, and cards on the table, my first reaction wasn't positive.

Upon seeing the pricey smart speaker, my first thought was, "Who the hell is buying this?"

Admittedly, this was long before I was deeply submerged in the world of AV and hi-fi, reviewing. But I like to think I've always been careful about selecting headphones, and I was urging my parents to invest in 4K TVs as early as I can remember.

But this month, after finally properly using one, I'm prepared to eat humble pie and admit I was wrong.

While I know a HomePod isn't the pinnacle of hi-fi audio engineering, I've been auditioning smart speakers for a very particular task: I want a speaker that I can have in my kitchen to play tunes while I cook, and occasionally yell commands at to set timers and skip tracks.

While an Amazon Echo Dot would suffice for most, I've become accustomed to a certain standard of sound, hence why that option was quickly dismissed.

I traded up to an Echo Show 11, which was definitely an audio upgrade, but the screen felt unnecessary, the interface was laggy, and the recommended recipes it was showing me were nothing short of nonsensical (something about a soup with a savoury marshmallow on top really sent me over the edge).

This led me to the HomePod, not the current HomePod 2, might I add, but the original model, which is now sitting proudly on my kitchen worktop.

Booting the HomePod up for the first time revealed that I could update it to the latest version of audioOS; not a bad start for an eight-year-old product.

Sure, it's unlikely the recently announced Siri AI and Sound Glow features for the HomePod Mini 2 (which are also slated to come to the full-sized HomePod 2) will be added, but I can live without them for what I'm using the speaker for.

What is most important is sound quality, and that's what has really sold me on the HomePod. We raved about its "weighty, authoritative sound" back in our original review, and its deep, tuneful and energetic bass performance sticks out as a particular highlight.

Based on my experience, I can certainly vouch for our original review, as I love how rich, punchy and exciting the HomePod sounds, especially compared to my two previous Amazon speakers.

Midrange and treble are equally well balanced, with a richness and warmth that is indicative of Apple's overall approach to sound tuning, which I can instantly recognise from listening to iPhones, iPads and even the Apple TV 4K. The HomePod also distributes sound very well throughout my kitchen, making it sound much larger than it looks.

Now, it hasn't been 100 per cent smooth sailing. The experience with Spotify hasn't been the smoothest thanks to some occasional dropouts over AirPlay, but I plan on switching back to Apple Music once my last month of Spotify Premium has concluded, which I presume will only improve the HomePod experience.

And outside of that, I can only think of one serious downside, and it's not an issue in the traditional sense. Essentially, I am now a fan of Apple's most neglected product line, which means I have a long line of disappointing Apple Events waiting for me.

That might sound contradictory given I've just referenced the newly announced HomePod Mini 2, but need I remind you that Apple took six years to release this sequel.

The HomePod 2, which I admit I have been eyeing up on Apple's website, is over three years old now, and I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see a successor for another few years.

I've been in this position before with the Apple TV 4K, and I suppose there is a hard truth I need to accept: Apple's AV products will never be in the same spotlight as its darling iPhones, Macs and AirPods.

Maybe with the HomePod Mini 2 being fresh on the market – and coming in a dashing green finish, no less – it's the perfect time to indulge my new HomePod obsession; though I might need to take the first-generation Mini for a spin first to be thorough.

MORE:

Read our full Apple HomePod 2 review

Check out our list of the best wireless speakers

Apple HomePod 2 vs Apple HomePod

When Apple added active noise cancellation to its eartip-less AirPods 4, it worked so well that both new-generation AirPods 5 models have active noise cancelling as standard now.

The new Apple AirPods 5 also promise 50 per cent improved ANC and better sound than before, a new custom EQ, all while retaining a familiar design and many of the features that made these wireless earbuds so popular.

It’s certainly more a case of evolution than completely rehauling a tried-and-tested design, but are the new AirPods 5 still competitive in today’s growing open earbuds market?

Price

As before, there are two AirPods 5 variants, but the delineation between them is now less clear-cut. In the AirPods 4, the pricier model had ANC, the cheaper model didn’t – simple, right?

In the AirPods 5, the differences come down to on-stem volume control, a wireless charging case, and an extra hour of battery life. We’re not sure if these are crucial enough differences for buyers to make a clear choice, and we wonder why Apple didn’t just make a single version of AirPods 5 that had all the complete features.

The base model of the AirPods 5 cost £119 / $129 / AU$219, while the step-up version with the wireless charging case – which is the sample we are reviewing here – is yours for £139 / $149 / AU$249. There’s less of a price gap between the two than in previous generations, and it once again makes us question why Apple felt the need to make two versions. We fully expect the cheaper model to go down in price for the holiday season to make it a more attractive proposition.

On the plus side, the AirPods 5 are less expensive than the previous generation: the ANC model launched at £179 / $179 / AU$299 in 2024, while UK buyers can save a whole tenner on the standard AirPods 4’s original price (£129 / $129 / AU$219).

Build & design

Place the two generations of AirPods side by side, and you’ll find them to be identical in design. The AirPods 5 have the same ‘semi-open’ design as the AirPods 4 so you are aware of your surroundings when wearing them, with no silicone eartips to create an acoustic or ANC seal.

How comfortable and effective the design is proves, as before, to be entirely dependent on the shape of your ears – they either don’t sit securely for some members of the What Hi-Fi? review team, while others found wearing them perfectly comfortable.

Getting the ‘nozzle’ of the buds pointing towards your ear canal at all times without being dislodged is the tricky bit, especially if you want the best sound quality. Apple’s always-on Adaptive EQ aims to keep the sound consistent to account for different ear shapes, although this doesn’t help if the buds don’t stay in your ears.

Those who don’t like the feeling of eartips burrowing in will appreciate the less-intrusive design, though, and the buds are small and lightweight enough to wear for long hours. They also have an improved IP57 rating for water and sweat resistance, which is ideal for those who wear these buds while commuting, running or exercising.

The base model features force-sensitive controls, where you pinch the stems to control music playback, change noise modes and accept calls, while gesture controls – a nod or a shake of the head – can be activated to accept or reject incoming calls.

The pricier AirPods 5 model features all of the above and adds the swipable volume controls from its Pro sibling, meaning you can swipe up and down on the buds’ stems to change volume. As we found with AirPods Pro 2 and Pro 3, it’s swift and intuitive in use.

Both charging cases look identical from the outside: small, pocketable, with a USB-C charging connection. The pricier model (clumsily called AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case) has wireless charging capabilities, working with Qi-compatible and Apple Watch chargers, and the case emits a sound to indicate low battery status or when you’re trying to locate it using Find My. The standard model can only be charged with a USB-C cable, which neither model provides in the box.

Features

The AirPods 4 were already so stacked with features we’re not sure how they have space for more, with Apple continuously bringing flagship-level features down to its standard line with every iOS update. The AirPods 5 and Pro 3 models are almost identical in features these days thanks to sharing the same H2 headphone chip, with only the hearing aid, hearing test and heart rate sensors now reserved for the flagship.

The cheaper AirPods 5 model gets the bigger upgrade here, with it now having pretty much the same features as its bigger brothers: with ANC ability comes adaptive audio and transparency modes, the conversation awareness mode that lowers media volume when it detects you’re speaking, and all AirPods running on the H2 chip (the 4, 5 and Pro models) now feature live translation.

The AirPods 5 continue to support personalised spatial audio with dynamic head tracking and other iOS-centric features such as easy switching between connected iOS devices and compatibility with the updated Siri AI. These are all useful to varying degrees and work as well as expected.

We would recommend downloading the latest version of iOS 27 when using the AirPods 5 for the best performance, as we initially found a few instances of lag in our review sample. We’re talking mere milliseconds here, but it’s noticeable when we’re used to a seamless, intuitive feedback with Apple products – although these issues ironed themselves out after the software update.

The iOS 27 update also brings with it a more orderly AirPods settings interface, adjustable adaptive audio, and a three-band custom EQ. Available in the Audio & Routing section in the AirPods’ settings, you can adjust the low, mid and high frequencies to customise the sound when music is playing.

The adjustments are subtle, and it’s a nice feature to have, but you can’t save multiple presets; alternatively, you can simply leave it on Apple’s recommended default EQ.

The most disappointing part of the AirPods 5 experience is battery life. The AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case offer just five hours on a single charge, with 22 hours in total with the charging case. It’s worse on the base AirPods 5 model, with a measly four hours unchanged from the previous generation.

A five-minute charge in the case does give you an hour, but dipping into the case continuously for extra juice means you’ll be needing to charge the ’Pods more regularly overall. With the AirPods 5’s ANC powers and feature set matching those of traditional premium wireless earbuds, they’re lagging behind the eight hours quoted on the AirPods 3 and Sony WF-1000XM6. Even cheaper ANC buds such as the Sony WF-C710N offer 8.5 hours on a single charge.

We know the demands of these extra features and improved ANC performance put additional pressure on the battery life, especially in a more open design, but we would hope that Apple would counteract those power-hungry updates with a larger battery capacity.

ANC & call quality

It’s taken us long enough to get to the real heart of the AirPods 5 design: improved ANC. We were impressed with how effective the noise-cancelling was when we reviewed the AirPods with ANC, and the same is true in the AirPods 5.

For a design without any eartip seal, the full noise-cancelling mode does a great job at quietening the sound of traffic, train engines and general hubbub around you. Higher frequency noises will be heard clearly, as is expected for this kind of earbud design, and we find the lower frequencies are suppressed even more on the AirPods 5 than on the AirPods 4 with ANC.

It’s a more obviously powerful effect too. If you want a more natural blend of environmental awareness and your music, the adaptive audio mode does a fine job of automatically adjusting the ANC levels according to the noise around you. You can now fine-tune the level of adaptive audio; move the slider left or right depending on whether you want more transparency or more noise-cancelling. It’s a subtle but useful addition to have.

Call quality is another high point, with our voices sounding clear and detailed, with only a slight hardness around the edges. What’s impressive is how the AirPods 5 don’t transmit any surrounding noises to the caller. We were on a very busy road with rush hour traffic when testing voice calls, and the other person on the line couldn’t hear any hint of cars passing.

The AirPods 4 with ANC have a similar silencing effect, although voices sound a little thinner and sibilant compared with the more solid sound of the AirPods 5. For their noise-cancelling prowess and excellent call quality, the AirPods 5 are highly recommended if these are your priorities.

Sound

We’ve been fans of Apple’s recent sonic balance: detailed, agile, natural, open. With every generation, the standard AirPods have had a knack for knitting music together in a way that sounds immediately enjoyable, even if they don’t necessarily trouble the class leaders when it comes to absolute clarity, dynamism or insight.

The AirPods 5 exhibit many of the same sonic characteristics of the older AirPods 4, and it doesn’t take us long to enjoy our Tidal and Apple Music playlists in the earbuds’ airy soundscape.

Apple doesn’t give specifics, but it has updated the innards of the AirPods 5 by way of a new “multiport acoustic architecture”, and the result is a sound that has greater extension and weight in the lower frequencies. For such an open design, the amount of power and heft to the sound is quite impressive.

The outside world will intrude upon your music or podcast listening if you don’t have any kind of noise-cancelling turned on, but even still, we find ourselves enjoying the amount of detail and spaciousness you get with the AirPods 5.

The enhanced bass power comes to the fore when listening to the taut, fast bassline in Ice T’s Addicted To Danger, which sounds more menacing and muscular than before; while Max Richter’s The City Was A Chaos instrumental is admirably delivered with deep punchiness and increasing scale and intensity. Highs have plenty of headroom to soar too, with no hint of sharpness or brightness to disturb our listening.

Dynamically, there is enough variety to hold our attention, although the AirPods 5’s open design still doesn’t hold a candle to their eartip-equipped sealed counterparts when it comes to outright punch and dynamic contrast.

With certain songs, we find the AirPods 5’s newfound weighty balance can overpower more delicate, subtler moments at times. The finer details and nuances of The Unthanks’ singing in Here’s The Tender Coming are a little subdued. Voices are less prominent in the mix than before and as a result don’t sound quite as clear; we find the leaner sound of the older AirPods 4 with ANC delivers a sweeter and more agile presentation.

Many will find the older AirPods 4 to have a lightweight sound in comparison to the AirPods’ more full-bodied presentation, and it simply depends on which balance you prefer.

Verdict

An open design will always have its compromises when it comes to outright dynamic punch and clarity, but the AirPods 5’s more powerful and weightier sound does a fine job of keeping the music front and centre even as you’re constantly aware of your surroundings.

This fifth-generation model is a fairly gentle evolution that aims to bring wider iOS ecosystem features to all price points, while those using older generations of AirPods will find it a much bigger and more satisfying update. The AirPods 5’s highly effective ANC performance in this kind of open earbud design is the biggest draw here, and we’ve yet to encounter an open alternative that sounds this good.

Review published: 20th October 2026

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Features 4
• Build 4

MORE:

Our pick of the best wireless earbuds for all budgets

Read our full Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation review

Check out our AirPods Pro 3 review if you want the very best earbuds from Apple

I'm excited for Apple's newly announced AirPods 5 – but one major issue has me scratching my head

“Goldmund, isn’t that a Bond villain?” That’s the question a friend down the pub asked when I told him I had to skip drag bingo night, as I’m on a press trip in Switzerland. To be clear, it’s not.

Editor’s Note: He’s thinking of Goldfinger from the book and film of the same name. Or if we’re going lowbrow (which would make sense for him), Goldmember from the Austin Powers satire.

But there is a connection with the franchise’s fictional villains, as Goldmund – which, to be clear, is a Swiss high-end hi-fi brand responsible for some of the best premium amplifiers we’ve tested recently, including the five-star Goldmund Mimesis 37S NextGen/Telos 300 from 2023 and Telos 690 from 2024 – does have a penchant for secrecy and rarely lets people into its Geneva headquarters.

So, when I got the golden ticket and was offered a chance to get a behind-the-scenes look and listen with its latest Goldmund Mimesis Statement pre-amplifier (£220,000) and Telos 9800 power amplifier (£370,000 / €430,000 / $500,000), which both include numerous firsts for the firm, I couldn’t get on the plane fast enough.

Here’s what my audio sleuthing revealed.

Lots of changes are afoot

Both products are being pitched as “a new beginning” by Goldmund, which shifted its leadership 18 months ago, when CEO Marius Chapel, CCO Gaspar Baldunciel, and COO Paul Tétaz took over the company.

The firm says this means every circuit and aspect of its new pre- and power-amps are new, rather than tweaked versions of old designs. After a chat to the R&D team, and a sneak peek at both units’ internals, I can confirm there is proof in the pudding – though the firm remained fairly tight-lipped when pressed for specific details on its technology.

Capable of delivering a staggering 1560 watts of power into 8 ohms, the Telos 9800 is being pitched as the firm’s most powerful and advanced mono power amp to date. Featuring a towering design that physically separates the power supply and amplification circuitry into two interconnect boxes, the unit comes loaded with a wealth of custom hardware.

Though Goldmund didn’t go into detail, these include everything from a unique PCB (printed circuit board) design to creating custom capacitors and transformers – each “designed by and only manufactured for Goldmund”.

On top of this, the amp features a proprietary power management system, with what it describes as “the largest capacitor bank ever developed by the company”, and backed up by Goldmund's 'Leonardo' processing algorithm tech. Leonardo works to digitally realign frequencies, reducing phase distortions and “dreaded accidental oscillations”.

“Pure, precise, stable” – the three words are muttered throughout the demo.

Outside of this, the Telos 9800 features all the trappings of a high-end power amp, featuring balanced XLR and RCA inputs and a quartet of speaker binding posts. The power amp also features a coaxial digital input, letting you connect digital sources with a volume control directly to it, should you so choose.

The new Statement preamplifier continues the theme, being the first analogue design from Goldmund to feature a dual mono power supply housed in two boxes.

The twin power supplies feed into the preamp, which, while a single box, has a ‘twinned’ design Goldmund claims “you won’t find anywhere else”, where the left and right channels are isolated and physically divided by a “unique heat dissipation component” on the board.

The circuit has an atypical "symmetrical" design the firm claims reduces noise and interference while improving overall “signal purity", resulting in a more accurate, precise and articulate sound.

When it comes to connectivity, the Statement offers three balanced XLR and seven single-ended RCA line-level inputs. Three balanced XLR and three RCA outputs then follow.

But the important question is: after all these changes…

How do they sound?

I was able to listen to this pre/power combination as part of a system in Goldmund’s newly built listening room – which, sadly, hadn’t been fully finished while we were visiting, with things like a bare, reflective door next to the system and unfinished treatment making for less than optimal conditions.

The system featured a Mimesis Statement and two Telos 9800s connected to Theia Passive speakers (£190,000), with the Eidos Excellence SACD player (£55,000) and Eidos streamer (£25,000) acting as sources.

We can’t make any final judgments about sound quality until we have them in our listening rooms. But Dr Véronique Adam, Goldmund’s long-standing head of acoustic research and development, told us the firm’s mission to create the most transparent – to the point of being brutally honest – sound possible, and not try to “fix” a bad source, has not changed. That was apparent the moment the listening session began.

Starting with Prince’s Get On The Boat, the system delivers a punchy, dynamic sound, ably dealing with the interlinking grooves with a solid sense of rhythmic timing and precision. The soundstage feels expansive and wide, creating an accurate stereo image, where every part of the freeform big-band funk experience holds its spot, refusing to congest in the middle and devolve the piece into a muddy wall of sound.

This continues as we transition to Philip Glass’s Floe, where the complex arrangement retains a suitable sense of drive, while leaving enough room for each interlinking instrument to breathe – the dreaded bass synthesiser remaining firmly in its lane, rather than drowning out the more subtle sections, making it possible to count along with the composition’s direct 2:3 polyrhythm.

Moving to SMV’s Thunder, the booming basses hit you in the gut as the system delivers an impressive amount of low-end heft. But the higher-frequency scooped slap bass sections began to take on a hard edge and feel a bit raised compared to the other parts, making for occasionally unpleasant listening, despite its otherwise capable handling of the tricky piece’s dynamics. I suspect the less-than-perfect acoustics of the unfinished demo room are to blame here.

Pressing the issue with Steve Vai’s Touching Tongues, a famously bright song, this continues, as the system delivers the squealing lead guitar with so much force it veers towards forthrightness in its earnest delivery. Again, the system occasionally feels forced, with the track not quite sticking the landing with the upper frequencies, in particular – an issue that, again, could easily be explained by the room.

All in all, it left an impression, but we’d really like to listen to it again in a room we’re familiar with that has been fully treated – at this level, it’s not fair to play the hardware in anything less.

Final thoughts

While I didn’t get enough time with the new Goldmund amps to make any final judgments, our time with them and the company’s new leadership team shows the firm is looking to make big changes, both to how it runs and its product range.

That alone makes me eager to hear more and see what that means for the iconic Swiss hi-fi brand and its offerings – especially given the sweeping changes that have been made in developing the new Telos and Mimesis amps since the new leadership team took over 18 months ago.

Add to this the strong impression of its bold designs and ongoing unapologetic focus on a pure, unadulterated sound, and I can’t help but feel we should all be keeping an eye on Goldmund, as it continues its metamorphosis.

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I've covered more Apple launches than I'd care to admit in the past four years. From the annual iPhone unveilings in September to WWDC in June, and many miscellaneous events in between, there's been one running theme throughout all of them: no new Apple TV 4K.

That changed with Apple's latest low-key event, which took place earlier this week. It centred around smart home devices, including a Siri AI-enabled smart speaker with a display that can be used to view video doorbells, display recipes, and stream music. While the HomeView looks like a nice piece of kit, my attention was squarely on the new Apple TV 4K 4th Generation.

Last refreshed in 2022, the Apple TV 4K has been the neglected stepchild in Apple's lineup for the past four years; the company has been too busy cramming wildly powerful in-house developed processors into new Mac computers and iPads.

Thankfully, Apple saw sense and has decided to refresh the streamer with the same A19 chip from the iPhone 17 with a dedicated AV1 decoder for more efficient streaming, improved wireless connectivity, Siri AI and built-in far-field microphones for hands-free navigation, and an improved remote with built-in 'Find My' functionality.

Now, I've been mulling over the new streaming box since its announcement on the 13th October, and the shine really has worn off. This contemplation has led me to an unfortunate realisation: I have no intention of buying the new Apple TV 4K.

What I was convinced would be an instant no-brainer purchase has been derailed thanks to a couple of key factors, and yes, the biggest issue is the price.

Apple has previously offered two configurations of this streamer. There was a cheaper 64GB model which launched at £149 / $130 / AU$219, and saw a price increase to £199 / $199 / AU$299 in June this year, and a 128GB version with an Ethernet socket which released for £169 / $179 / $249, and received a similar price increase to £249 / $249 / AU$399.

Apple now only sells a single 128GB configuration, meaning the 4th Generation starts at a staggering £299 / $299 / AU$449. Plenty of geo-economic factors explain this price increase to some extent: RAM, storage and chip shortages, plus global conflicts, are mostly to blame.

But two price increases in six months? That's starting to feel egregious, especially considering that the 'starting' price for the Apple TV is now double what it used to be.

Furthermore, the existing Apple TV 4K is technically receiving some of the features from the new model.

Apple notes that, "Siri AI is available as a beta on Apple TV 4K (2nd generation or later), and is available at launch in the US, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and the UK in English," which means if you have the 2021 or 2022 Apple TV 4K, you'll be able to use the new Siri AI voice commands and search functions.

And that new Siri Remote with Find My built in? Apple is selling that separately too, and it's compatible with multiple generations of Apple TV HD and 4K, with the Find My feature supported on the 2021 and 2022 models too. It's set to cost £59 / $59 / AU$89; that's a much more wallet-friendly upgrade.

Now, we're expecting important picture and sound upgrades with this new generation, and the upgraded processor is likely to harbour more features in the future and enhanced longevity in the long run. And of course it's entirely possible that my mind will be changed once we review the upcoming Apple TV 4K, which is set to release at the end of the month.

That said, if you've got Apple TV 4K FOMO like me, but are averse to dropping £300 on the new model, then these features might just tide you over as well.

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Read our full Apple TV 4K (2022) review

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As well as the best OLED TVs

Projector brand Xgimi has added three RGB triple-laser models to its collection, promising to bring the “big-screen experience home without the need for a dedicated home cinema space”.

The Horizon 30 Series comprises the Horizon 30 Pro, 30 Max, and 30 Ultra Max. All of them offer 4K resolution and have a 120Hz refresh rate, with Xgimi claiming that the latter results in “smooth, natural motion”.

This follows on from Xgimi’s Horizon 20 Series which came out last year, but the China-based company says the new models will deliver an “upgraded viewing experience with vivid images in rooms with ambient light, greater depth in dark scenes, and smoother motion for fast-moving content”.

There is a Dual Intelligent Iris system built into each model, which Xgimi claims can adjust light output as scenes change. Like its predecessors, all three projectors also support Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG, plus IMAX Enhanced content.

On top of the projectors’ 4k/120Hz offerings, gamers will be pleased to hear that they support variable refresh rates (VRR), and auto low latency mode (ALLM) for "faster, more responsive play".

According to Xgimi, the models can project an image up to 300 inches, which should make for an immersive viewing experience.

There are a range of features built-in to make set-up easier, including optical zoom, lens shift, automatic keystone correction, and autofocus. There are also obstacle avoidance and screen alignment features on hand. This easy set-up is helped by each projector’s built-in stand, which you can tilt vertically and rotate horizontally if you need to adjust manually.

The 30 Ultra Max offers the highest claimed brightness of the bunch at 6000 ANSI lumens. Then the 30 Max comes in at 5300 lumens, and the 30 Pro claims to go up to 4800 lumens.

Google TV is on board, which gives you access to the usual streaming apps, including Netflix, Apple TV and Disney+. The projectors also come with their own built-in sound system, consisting of two 12W Harman Kardon speakers.

So, how much will the new range set you back? The most expensive of the bunch is the Horizon 30 Ultra Max, which comes in at £2799 / $3199 / around AU$5366. Next is the Horizon 30 Max, setting you back £2399 / $2699 / AU$4599. Finally, the 30 Pro will cost you £2099 / $2099 / around AU$4025.

We tested Xgimi's older Horizon 20 Max and gave it a solid four-star review in our test room, praising its extreme brightness and room-filling sound by projector standards. We said in our review that the black levels aren’t the best so, if the new models can fix this issue, we could be getting an even stronger entry to the market.

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Here is our review of the Xgimi Horizon 20 Max

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After years of waiting, ranting, and almost giving up entirely, I am delighted that Apple has finally replaced the 2022 Apple TV 4K 3rd Generation. If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I love that streamer, and I have spent almost every Apple launch and event since 2022 anticipating the announcement of its replacement.

That time has finally come. Apple has announced a new 4K streamer alongside a new HomePod Mini 2, the HomeView smart display, and a range of smart home devices developed in partnership with LG.

The Apple TV 4K certainly seems to be the streamer I’ve been waiting for. It looks like being a genuine upgrade over the previous model in terms of AV features and general functionality. While I am mostly exceptionally pleased with Apple’s announcement, there are a couple of issues that I have noted from Apple’s press release.

With that in mind, here are three things I have already taken a shine to, and two things I’m not super pleased with…

Like: a powerful processor for more than just AI

Apple has squeezed the same super-powerful A19 processor that can be found in the iPhone 17 into the Apple TV 4K 4th Generation. This chip has already proven to offer silky-smooth performance on the iPhone, and it can run everything from everyday apps to graphically intensive games with ease, so I am excited to see it in action on the new streamer.

The biggest feature that it enables is Siri AI, which can be used to control the streamer hands-free and track down content to watch. Asking the box to show you movies from a specific genre, or requesting Award-winning TV shows isn’t revolutionary – we have seen other streamers and operating systems do this – but it’s a nice feature to have nonetheless, especially now that you can speak to the streamer without picking up the remote, thanks to the built-in far-field microphones.

However, as someone who spends far too much time on IMDB looking at trivia, cast information, and filming locations, the ability to ask Siri contextual questions while I’m watching is a huge plus. Apple’s example of asking “where is Pluribus filmed?” really tickled my fancy, especially as a huge Pluribus fan.

That all said, the A19 chip does way more than unlock faster and more powerful AI responses; there’s a huge new AV feature coming to the box thanks to the new chipset.

It includes a new, dedicated AV1 decoder, which should help when it comes to streaming compressed video coded in the format. Apple touts “more efficient, high-quality streaming while using less bandwidth”, which is music to my ears.

This essentially also confirms a picture upgrade, and I can’t wait to see the new streaming box in action.

Dislike: an overly familiar design

The Apple TV 4K is a discreet and sleek black box designed to blend into your media setup, and it does a good job of doing exactly that. However, it looks almost identical to the outgoing model, which was incredibly similar to nearly every previous generation of Apple TV streamers.

Furthermore, the remote also looks unchanged from the outside, which is both a good and bad thing. I’m a huge fan of the high-quality aluminium handset with its clicky buttons, easy-to-use layout, and USB-C charging port, which means that I never have to faff around with batteries.

That said, Apple is charging significantly more for this streamer now (we’ll get on to that later), so a remote upgrade would have been nice. Backlit buttons would be a great start (Sky Stream’s remote scores points here), and a customisable shortcut button akin to the one found on the Google TV Streamer would also be nice.

Like: Find My remote and voice commands

I know I’ve just moaned about the remote, but there is a huge upgrade that I really do think is a game changer. Now, my sofa is notorious for swallowing remotes, so the inclusion of Find My is an absolute lifesaver.

There are two ways to locate the remote by the looks of things: you can give the “Siri, find the remote” command to the streaming box directly and it will play a chime, or use the Find My app on your iPhone to pinpoint the exact location of the remote using on-screen directions.

However, I know how lazy I can be, so being able to control the streamer without lifting a finger and instead letting voice commands do the work is a rather nice feature to have. Moreover, this could be a huge accessibility upgrade for those with mobility limitations.

Dislike: out of control price

There’s no beating around the bush here; the new Apple TV 4K is expensive. Apple is selling only one configuration this time, with the cheaper 64GB model being scrapped in favour of a single 128GB model with an ethernet socket for £299 / $299 / AU$449.

That is a substantial asking price for a streaming box, especially considering the last model launched at £169 / $150 / $250 for the 128GB model. Apple did initiate a price increase earlier this year, upping the asking price to £249 / $249 / AU$399.

It’s worth noting that the previous model is no longer available, so this essentially means we have had two fairly substantial Apple TV 4K price increases in the space of a few months.

Now, there are global economic factors at play that are orchestrating these price increases, and we are seeing the likes of Google and Amazon also increase the price of their streamers, but a £130 / $149 / AU$199 price increase feels rather egregious to us.

Apple may want to look into a cheaper step-down model in the future if it wants to reel in buyers put off by the price, as many will begin looking at the much cheaper Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max 2nd Generation at this rate.

Like: wireless surround sound with HomePods

Apple has made a big swing for immersive sound with the new TV 4K, and it involves its underappreciated HomePod speakers alongside some wireless audio trickery.

You can connect up to four HomePod speakers to the Apple TV 4K 4th Generation, and there are multiple configurations that you can use. Whether that’s four HomePod 2 speakers, four HomePod Mini 2s, or a mix of the two (provided that the front and back pairs match respectively), the new streamer can essentially act as a hub for a wireless Dolby Atmos surround sound system.

This wireless surround sound trend has become hugely popular across the home cinema scene, with the likes of Sony, LG, Hisense and Valerion all leading the pack, and now it’s Apple’s turn to jump on board. Considering how great the HomePod speakers sound, and given Apple’s impressive approach to sound tuning, I am very eager to test this new wireless audio feature out.

MORE:

Read our full Apple TV 4K (2022) review

As well as our Apple HomePod 2 review

And check out our list of the best streaming devices

Apple has finally lifted the lid on its new 4K streamer, ending the four-year reign of the Apple TV 4K 3rd Generation.

The new Apple TV 4K will deliver the "most immersive home theatre experience yet", according to Apple, alongside new Siri AI smart features and a hands-free way to interact with the streaming box.

While it may look almost identical from the outside, the Apple TV 4K 4th Generation sports a new front-facing LED indicator, which displays when the new built-in far-field microphones are listening for hands-free navigation via Siri voice commands.

Speaking of Siri, Apple is really pushing the virtual assistant with this latest-generation streaming box, claiming it to be a "profoundly more capable and conversational assistant".

Finding content should be easier with wider and more natural search parameters; for example, users can ask, “What Apple TV shows won at the Emmy Awards this year?" and they will be shown a rail of content, alongside similar options to expand the search.

Furthermore, Siri AI will also be able to answer while you're watching movies and TV shows. Apple's examples include “Where was Pluribus filmed?” and “Is this appropriate for a 15-year-old?”, with a subtle text overlay providing an answer without distracting from the content on screen.

The new Siri AI system, which was introduced in Apple's most recent batch of software updates, comes to tvOS for the first time thanks to the A19 processor – the same chip found in the iPhone 17.

While Apple touts 50 per cent faster CPU performance and up to two times faster GPU performance, the real benefit of this new chipset we're concerned with is the inclusion of a dedicated AV1 decoder.

It's set to deliver "more efficient, high-quality streaming while using less bandwidth", and we could see better HDR performance and sharper visuals thanks to the improved decompression of streamed video feeds.

The new Apple TV 4K supports the same HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision and HDR10+ formats as its predecessor. Audio support is consistent, with Dolby formats up to Dolby Atmos, plus Apple Lossless for Apple Music.

On the subject of audio, Apple is introducing a major surround sound audio upgrade too. Users will now be able to connect up to four HomePod speakers to create a wireless surround sound system.

Apple says that four HomePod 2 speakers will deliver the "ultimate audio experience", and the newly announced HomePod Mini 2 can also work as a quartet. Users can even mix and match between the speakers, provided that the front and rear speaker pairs match.

The HomePod speakers will reportedly work together to "intelligently recognise their position in the room", meaning that audio levels and timing will be automatically calibrated to suit your space.

Moving on to the remote, Apple's sleek metallic handset looks familiar; however, it hides an internal upgrade that will seriously appeal to those sick of losing their remote between the couch cushions. It now supports Find My with Precision Finding, meaning you can use your iPhone to play chimes and track its location directly if it slips out of sight.

Finally, the Apple TV 4K 4th Generation sticks to one configuration, unlike its predecessor, which could be optioned with less storage and no Ethernet port. The latest generation sticks to 128GB of storage and an Ethernet socket, but it comes at a high price.

The Apple TV 4K now costs £299 / $299 / AU$449, which is a steep step up from its predecessor. Originally launched at £169 / $150 / $250 for the 128GB model, the 3rd Generation was subjected to an unwelcome price increase earlier this year, bringing it to £249 / $249 / AU$399.

Will the new features justify a substantial price hike? We'll have to wait until the 13th November, when the Apple TV 4K 4th Generation launches, to find out.

MORE:

Read our full Apple TV 4K review

As well as our Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max 2nd Generation review

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Way back in 2023, as I hunted for a living room-friendly sound solution for my new home, I replaced a Sonos Arc with a pair of HomePod 2s, and what I discovered was a surprisingly accomplished Dolby Atmos performance in a super-neat package.

One of my criticisms, though, and a key reason I ended up with the Sony HT-A9 system long-term instead, was that “there’s currently no way to extend the Apple system beyond two speakers, so you can't add dedicated surrounds.”

Now, more than three years later, Apple has finally removed that limitation.

This new Apple TV 4K model, with its powerful A19 chip, can be partnered with four HomePod 2s, four of the new HomePod Mini 2s, or a pair of each, to create a full surround sound experience.

As before, there is no dedicated, manual calibration involved. You simply plonk the speakers where they are most practical, and their combination of integrated microphones will work out where they are and adapt the sound to each other and the environment. Very neat – assuming it works as well as it does with a pair of HomePods.

For those not already familiar with how an Apple TV 4K + HomePods combination works, the HomePods don’t play audio just from the Apple TV 4K itself. Thanks to eARC support, they can also handle sound from other devices connected to your TV, such as a games console or Blu-ray player.

There are other things I’m excited about with the new Apple TV 4K, of course.

Far-field mics for totally hands-free operation via Siri AI are actually rather appealing, I think, as long as Siri can play content from all streaming apps; and AV1 codec support is potentially a big deal for picture quality in the long run.

As someone who misplaces the tiny Siri Remote on a near-weekly basis, the new version’s audible Find My feature should prove very useful, too.

But it’s this ability to turn a HomePod setup into a proper Dolby Atmos home cinema system that has really piqued my interest.

The downside? Cost, of course.

The new Apple TV 4K is launching at £299 / $299 / AU$449, which is a massive price rise on the previous model, and each HomePod 2, which, from a sound quality perspective, I think you will need as the front speakers at least, will set you back £349 / $349 / AU$549.

So a full package that includes a new Apple TV 4K and four HomePod 2s will cost a hefty £1695 / $1695 / AU$2645 – though you could of course save some money by using HomePod Mini 2s instead of HomePod 2s as surrounds.

And, actually, now I think of it, that is very similar to what Sony charged for the HT-A9 system I still use at home, and a lot less than it charges for the Bravia Theatre Quad (£2499 / $2500 / AU$3699).

A Sonos Arc Ultra with two Era 300 speakers as surrounds will set you back £1797 / $2002 / AU$3232, too, so perhaps this Apple TV 4K home cinema isn’t quite as startlingly expensive as it first looks.

Of course, the real test will be how this system sounds. I was impressed by what a pair of HomePods could do on their own, so I am particularly keen to find out whether adding dedicated surrounds can deliver the kind of fully immersive Dolby Atmos I’m after – and how it compares with the Sony HT-A9 system I still use at home.

The new Apple TV 4K is due to go on sale on 13th November, so you can expect our test results around then.

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This is the HomePod with a screen that has been rumoured for years; it’s called Apple HomeView.

It is designed as a smart home hub, but it has some impressive audio chops courtesy of its custom-engineered acoustic system. This comprises two custom full-range drivers within the display itself that deliver Spatial Audio, while the down-firing woofer and two force-cancelling passive radiators in the base take care of the lower registers.

The computational audio (powered by Apple silicon and real-time sensors) promises to optimise continually the loudness and bass response. The wall-mounted version might lack the base’s bass capabilities, but the computational audio is tuned especially for on-wall placement.

That’s right, you can buy it either with the base for placing on a surface such as a kitchen counter or bedside table, or without for attaching to the wall. Both cost the same £299 / $299 / AU$449, but the wall-mounted model requires fittings and a power supply, both of which cost extra.

Like Apple’s HomePods, the HomeView can play music and wirelessly link up to other Apple speakers for multi-room audio. The difference is that the HomeView has a 7-inch Liquid Retina display that can show films and TV series, messages, calendars and FaceTime calls, and let you manage your smart home devices.

You control it either by tapping the touchscreen or with voice controls via Siri AI.

Thanks to facial recognition, it can serve up a personalised home screen for up to six users, all of whom can personalise Siri’s voice and even speaking speed. Pair it with your Apple Intelligence-powered device (such as the iPhone 18 Pro) and it can draw on your personal context, as long as you use Apple’s apps such as iMessage and Calendar.

On the version with a base, the screen can tilt for the perfect viewing angle, making it versatile in terms of placement. It's connected to the base by a stainless-steel hinge, and comes in four colours: silver, starlight, rose pink, or space grey. Each comes with a matching cable.

The screen has Apple’s True Tone tech that adapts the colour temperature depending on the ambient lighting conditions, while automatic brightness adjusts from 500 nits down to 0.3 nits for dark conditions. The interface even adjusts based on how far away from it you are, getting more detailed the closer you get.

You can personalise HomeView with your own photos, effectively making it double as a digital photo frame, or choose the Flow face to make it a piece of interactive digital art. Or add an animated Snoopy to the homepage, and watch him react to the time of day, the weather and sporting events (though thankfully not current events).

Album art on Apple Music is animated and serves up lyrics, while Handoff lets you continue listening to a song from your phone on HomeView by placing your handset in front of the HomeView display.

HomeView also works with Apple Home Collection, a new range of smart home cameras, thermostats and a lock, designed in collaboration with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric.

HomeView is Apple’s big play for the smart home – but how useful it will be depends on how ensconced you are in the Apple ecosystem. We’re looking forward to trying out its AV skills though.

It is available to pre-order now for £299 / $299 / AU$449. Shipping starts on 13th November.

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It’s official! The HomePod Mini 2 has finally landed – and there’s good news and bad news

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It's officially official: Apple has finally announced the HomePod Mini 2.

We've had so many letdowns with regard to the new Mini, with Apple's recent September launch event omitting the brand's compact smart speaker from its rundown of high-profile announcements, but this time, the news is truly set in stone.

Perhaps the biggest change beneath the surface is the jump from the original model's S5 chip to a new S10 chip which, alongside "advanced computational audio", helps to "analyse music in real time to optimise dynamic range, loudness, and acoustic performance". Theoretically then, the second-gen model should sound better than its predecessor.

The new model should also be smarter than its predecessor thanks to that new chip and updated support for Apple Intelligence, allowing the Mini 2 to be integrated within Apple's 'Home' ecosystem and giving Siri AI voice assistant a smarter, more personable upgrade.

There's a small catch, however. Siri AI will be available via a future software update in major territories such as the US, Australia, Canada and the UK, so you're not getting the speaker's full capabilities straight out of the box. When it does arrive, you can opt in to a more bespoke Siri experience via the Apple Home app.

The Mini 2 can be used as a single speaker, in a stereo pair, or as part of a multi-room set-up. Users can even create a four-speaker surround sound system with Apple TV 4K (4th generation), wherein four HomePod Mini 2 speakers and the new Apple TV 4K recognise one another's position in the room and automatically calibrate to the resultant output to fit the given listening space.

The external form is much the same as before, with a design that's akin to a hockey ball with the upper section cut off and a touch panel placed on top. The difference this time around is 'Sound Glow', whereby the top of the Mini glows and pulses in sync with the music, while the song’s album artwork generates a "colour-matched light experience that’s unique to every song".

According to Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Home Product Marketing: “HomePod Mini 2 brings together Siri AI, gorgeous new colours, and incredible audio. With Siri AI, it understands you better than ever, drawing on personal context and broad world knowledge to make music discovery even richer."

The HomePod Mini 2 is available for pre-order in green, pink, blue, white or black finishes, priced at £149 / $149 / AU$229. That's a considerable price hike from the £99 / $99 / AU$149 RRP of the original Mini, so it's up to Apple to prove that its next-gen sequel is worth the extra cash.

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The next Apple TV 4K is expected to launch at tomorrow's Welcome Home event, and now some last-minute details have leaked ahead of the announcement.

We have an expected release date (30th October), the processor (A19 Pro with 8GB RAM) and some extra features (built-in mics for Siri AI, plus an updated Siri remote with a built-in speaker to make it easier to find).

Of course, none of this is official. But seeing as it's all come via Bloomberg's Mark Gurman – possibly the most reliable Apple leaker there is – so close to the expected announcement, we anticipate at least a lot of it to be on the money.

Gurman also had some beans to spill on the new HomePod Mini that's rumoured to launch at the same event.

He says it will feature the same S10 chip as the Apple Watch Series 10, which is a big improvement on the current model's S5 chip. And he reckons it will come in five colours: green, pink, blue, white, and midnight.

These devices will apparently be joined by a new device called Apple HomeView. This will serve as a smart home hub, coming in either wall-mounted or tabletop form factors. Both will feature touchscreens, the A18 chip and support Siri for voice controls. The tabletop version will reportedly have "better sound quality" than the HomePod Mini.

Also expected is a slew of smart home devices like locks and lights made by LG and Schneider Electric, both under the name 'Apple Home Collection'.

The last Apple TV 4K launched in 2022, and the original HomePod Mini in 2020 – an age when it comes to these kinds of devices. Apple recently increased the price of both due to the ongoing global RAM shortage, so we'll be keenly watching the pricing of the new models.

We'll bring you all the news from tomorrow's event as soon as it's announced.

MORE:

Read our Apple TV 4K (2022) review

And our HomePod Mini review

Apple HomePod 2 vs HomePod Mini: what are the differences?

The 13-inch iPad Air has always occupied a particularly appealing position in Apple’s line-up for AV addicts like us. It is, after all, the most affordable way to get your hands on a 13-inch Apple tablet, with the 13-inch iPad Pro being vastly more expensive.

Of course, the iPad Pro boasts an OLED screen these days, whereas the Air has an LCD panel, but thanks to Apple’s still-under-appreciated attention to cinematic tuning, the two previous generations of the Air have proven to be something of a sweet spot in the iPad range.

This new model should prove to be more of the same, because it is, well, more of the same, with identical screen and speaker specs as its predecessors.

The changes are, as the name suggests, to the hardware powering the device, with Apple's M4 chip and 12GB of RAM giving the new iPad plenty of power for demanding productivity and AI tasks, including Apple's new Siri AI.

Those things have very little bearing on movie and music performance, of course, but that’s okay, because this remains an excellent tablet in both regards.

Price

There’s some bad news to get out of the way first. While the 13-inch iPad Air (M4) launched for £799 / $799 / AU$1349, the price has since been raised to £949 / $949 / AU$1599. Predictably, the global RAM shortage is apparently to blame.

That price gets you the entry-level wi-fi version with 128GB of storage. There are also 256GB, 512GB and 1TB versions available, should you need more storage and be willing to pay for it, and adding cellular support will incur a premium of £150 / $150 / AU$250 on whichever capacity model you choose.

If that sounds like a lot of money for a tablet, that’s because it is, but bear in mind that the 13-inch iPad Pro currently starts at £1499 / $1499 / AU$2599, and the 13-inch Air starts to look almost like good value.

Regardless, unless you’re happy to go second-hand (which is a very viable option), this is, as we said, the cheapest way to get your hands on a 13-inch Apple tablet.

Design

While design stagnation is never really something to celebrate, particularly over three product generations (could we not even have new colours, Apple?), there’s no denying that the 13-inch iPad Air remains a gorgeous bit of kit.

At 6.1mm thick and weighing 616g for the wi-fi model, it’s impressively slim and light for a tablet with such a generous screen. The aluminium chassis feels reassuringly solid, while the flat edges, rounded corners and slim bezels give it a clean, understated look. It’s a design that feels premium without being flashy, and the large display makes it a particularly appealing device for watching films and TV on the move.

The familiar Touch ID button sits on the top edge, while the USB-C port handles charging and data transfer. There’s also support for the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard, should you want to turn the Air into something more laptop-like. As before, though, those accessories come at an additional cost.

Of course, one benefit of the repeated design is that anyone upgrading from either of the last two generations will find that their existing Magic Keyboard remains compatible, so there’s no need to splash out on a new one.

Interestingly, the "Air" monniker that was once reserved for Apple's thinnest and lightest devices is here attached to an iPad that is thicker and heavier than the iPad Pro. That razor-thin OLED-equipped Pro weighs in at just 579g; is it time for Apple to rename the Air?

Nevertheless, there’s little to criticise about the Air’s design, but equally little here that’s new. If you liked the previous model, you’ll like this one just as much; if you were hoping for a fresh look to accompany the M4 chip, you’ll have to wait a little longer.

Features

The big change this time – and the very reason for this new iPad’s existence – is the M4 chip, which is backed by 12GB of memory rather than the 8GB found in the M3 model. It's a substantial amount of power for a tablet, and it’s primarily aimed at people who use their iPad for demanding creative tasks, graphically intensive games and Apple's expanding suite of AI features.

For those with more of a content-consumption persuasion, though, the biggest benefit is likely to be longevity. The M4 gives the Air plenty of performance in reserve, which should help it remain snappy and responsive for years to come, even as Apple adds more demanding features with future versions of iPadOS. It's not a particularly compelling reason for existing 13-inch iPad Air owners to upgrade, but it does make the M4 a reassuring purchase for anyone buying a new tablet now.

Our delay in getting to the M4 iPad Air means our sample is running iPadOS 27, rather than the iPadOS 26 that was pre-installed at launch.

The big news with this is the introduction of Siri AI, Apple's more conversational assistant with personal-context understanding and awareness of what's on screen. It can help find information across your apps, answer questions and assist with writing, and it is genuinely useful, even though it’s currently officially in beta form.

Of course, you don’t need to buy the new version of the iPad Air to get access to Siri AI – it’s compatible with models as far back as 2022’s iPad Air (5th generation).

For watching films, though, nothing has changed on paper. The 13-inch Air uses Apple's Liquid Retina LCD panel, with a 2732 x 2048 resolution, 264ppi pixel density, and a quoted peak brightness of 600 nits. It also has a fully laminated screen and an anti-reflective coating.

What it doesn't have is the OLED technology, higher peak brightness or 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate found on the more expensive iPad Pro. The Air's screen remains a strong proposition for watching video, but those looking for the very best picture quality Apple offers will need to stump up the considerable extra money for a Pro model.

Battery life of the 13-inch iPad Air is unchanged, with Apple quoting up to 10 hours of video playback on a single charge – a number that holds up during testing. That's enough for most flights and train journeys, and means you can comfortably get through a good chunk of a long trip without hunting for a power socket.

Audio is similarly straightforward. The tablet has the same landscape stereo speakers arrangement as the two previous generations. As we'll discuss in the Sound section, that doesn't prevent the Air from being an enjoyable device for watching films and TV, even if headphones remain the better choice for serious listening.

In short, the M4 brings welcome performance and longevity, while iPadOS 27 adds new software capabilities. But for AV enthusiasts, the core proposition remains much the same: a large, capable tablet with a beautiful, big LCD screen and capable built-in speakers, rather than a radical change in how the Air looks or sounds

Picture quality

There’s something incredibly enjoyable about having a 13-inch Apple screen that you can take almost anywhere. Whether you’re watching a film on a flight, catching up with a series on a train or settling down to watch something in bed, the big iPad Air gives you a properly generous canvas without requiring you to pay iPad Pro money.

The picture quality remains a real strength. Firing up F1: The Movie, the Air delivers the kind of sharp, natural and balanced image that captures all of the intended crispness of the super-high-budget production. Colours are rich and engaging without becoming overblown, while the presentation has the subtlety to keep skin tones and more restrained shades looking convincing.

The 13-inch display also makes a real difference to the viewing experience. Watching Detective Hole on Netflix, the extra screen real estate makes it easy to settle into the action, while the Air's refined presentation ensures that all of the gritty details remain clear. It’s an easy screen to watch for extended periods, too, with a natural-looking picture that doesn't feel as though it's trying too hard to impress.

That measured approach is also evident with high-definition material. Contact, purchased through the Apple TV app, is a useful reminder that there's plenty of life left in older films. The Air upscales the HD picture cleanly, keeping the image looking sharp and clean without making it appear artificially enhanced. The tablet’s handling of SDR also ensures that the presentation remains balanced rather than inauthentically punchy.

Back to 4K Dolby Vision, there's enough detail and colour depth to make The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey an engaging watch, too. The Air's picture is punchy but composed, with a blend of vibrancy and naturalness that suits the film's mix of landscapes, character close-ups and darker scenes.

Of course, this isn't the best screen Apple makes. The OLED-equipped iPad Pro delivers superior contrast, with deeper blacks and greater impact, making it the better choice if picture quality is your overriding priority. An OLED iPhone 17 or iPhone 18 Pro can also produce a more impressive image in certain respects, too, but the much smaller screen makes for a very different viewing experience.

And therein lies the trade-off: the Air's LCD can't deliver the same contrast or HDR punch as the Pro, but the Pro costs vastly more, while an iPhone simply can't offer the same cinematic scale.

For watching films, the 13-inch iPad Air remains an extremely appealing compromise: a large, sharp and natural-looking picture in a device that will still fit in a modestly proportioned backpack.

Sound quality

As with the picture, the iPad Air's sound performance remains a strong part of its appeal. The stereo speakers and Spatial Audio processing are capable of making watching films and TV shows enjoyable without headphones, while connecting a decent pair of cans opens up a much more involving listening experience.

For music, we use Spotify Lossless with a pair of AirPods Max 2 connected to the iPad via USB-C for the best quality. Rosalía's Divinize is a good test of the Air's ability to deliver a full-bodied, rhythmically assured sound, while Dark Heaven by President demonstrates weight and impact without losing the definition of its more intricate elements.

The Air gives Feel Around You by Le Youth room to breathe, with its layered electronic production benefiting from the clear, well-organised delivery. A Perfect Circle's To Whom It May Concern, meanwhile, demonstrates impressive separation of instruments and the ability to maintain control when the arrangement becomes more dense.

For movies, we unplug the headphones. F1: The Movie is an excellent test of the iPad's Spatial Audio capabilities. The opening race sequence demands a convincing sense of space, with engines, trackside noise and the wider atmosphere of the event combining to create a surprisingly expansive soundstage.

Dialogue clarity is strong, too, and The Traitors on BBC iPlayer provides a useful test. Hushed conversations remain intelligible amid the programme's music and dramatic sound effects, and the Air's built-in speakers make it perfectly viable to watch an episode without reaching for headphones.

Ultimately, the Air remains a versatile audio companion. Its speakers are good enough for casual viewing, while a quality pair of headphones makes it a much more serious proposition for music and movies.

There are limits to what you can expect from such a slim device, of course, but the overall sound performance remains entirely in keeping with the Air's strengths as a portable entertainment machine.

Verdict

This iPad Air upgrade isn’t really aimed at us. The new chip brings welcome power, but has no real bearing on AV performance.

That’s no great disappointment, though, because the Air remains an excellent portable entertainment device, with a sharp, natural-looking picture, surprisingly expansive sound and battery life that’s ideal for travel.

The OLED iPad Pro offers even better picture quality, but it costs vastly more, while an iPhone can’t match the Air’s cinematic screen size.

If you want a big-screen iPad for films and TV, this remains a highly appealing option. The M4 doesn’t transform it, but there was little that needed fixing.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 5
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M3)

Also consider the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra review

These are the best tablets for movies and music

As the saying goes: "good things come to those who wait", and that sentiment is really being tested at the moment – especially for someone as impatient as me.

I've counted down the gruelling years of waiting for Grand Theft Auto VI, watched The Batman: Part II slip further and further away after continuous delays, and despite an update from Xbox, I just don't believe that we'll ever see another proper Elder Scrolls game after 2011's Skyrim.

However, one of the most egregious passages of time has to be the wait for a new Apple TV 4K. The current model was announced on the 18th of October 2022; for those counting, that'll be exactly four years ago in eight days.

Rumours of a new model have drifted around AV circles for well over a year, with mutterings that a new version was primed to launch around this time last year. Evidently, that did not happen.

In fact, the most recent update to the product was an egregious price hike that took the base price from £139 to £199, and the 128GB/Ethernet model from £169 to a staggering £249. Talk about kicking someone when they're down.

Still, if there's one thing that being a What Hi-Fi? reviewer has taught me, it's resilience (don't believe me? Try unboxing, setting up and swapping around five surround sound speaker packages in a day). Hence why I've not yet lost hope. And that blind faith might finally pay off next week, as Apple has just locked in its "Welcome Home" event for the 13th of October.

It's expected to focus on a handful of smart home devices, including a new home hub, smart home security gadgets, and potentially a very long overdue update to the HomePod Mini (sorry HomePod fans, I now realise that we're both suffering).

But it's the buzz of a new Apple TV 4K with an upgraded processor, remote, and Siri AI system that has me all giddy, as several reputable reports claim that a new streaming box is amongst Apple's slate of announcements.

Now, my excitement is marred by some caution, as this isn't the first time I've got myself whipped up into a frenzy for an Apple TV launch that never happened, so I am braced for disappointment.

In fact, I've written countless stories expressing my disappointment after Apple events pass without a mention of a new box, and I could be writing yet another one next week.

Now, it's evident that I really care about this potential new Apple TV 4K (perhaps a bit too much), but why should you? I understand where the naysayers are coming from. If your TV already has streaming apps built-in, then why do you need to spend money on a box that allows you to access the same apps?

Simply put, it's all about picture and sound quality. I have more ways to access streaming apps on my TV than I could ever need. There's Google TV built into my Sony A80L, my PlayStation 5 can access a wide array of services, and my Sky Stream box is actually where I do most (if not all of) my streaming currently, thanks to its impressive blend of performance and convenience.

But if it's pure picture and sound performance that I'm after, then I'm reaching for my Apple TV 4K. It delivers a colourful, contrast-rich, supremely detailed image with tangible depth and excellent motion, alongside a textured, dynamic and crisp approach to sound. There's a reason it's a constant fixture on our annual Awards list.

Apple's tvOS operating system is also a joy to use; it's responsive, has some genuinely handy tie-in features with my iPhone (typing passwords in on my phone to log into streaming services is a game changer), and its home screen isn't plastered with ads unlike Fire TV and Google TV.

As such, I'll recommend the Apple TV 4K to practically anyone who will listen; I've even talked my staunchly Samsung-supporting stepdad into buying one to hook up to his OLED TV, and I've heard nothing but praise for the plucky streaming box since.

And my advice extends to anyone reading this who doesn't think they're worth it or is on the fence; once you try it, you'll see exactly where I'm coming from.

Given how much I love the current Apple TV 4K, the notion that we're closer to a new one than ever before has me totally transfixed. I feel like an overexcited kid on Christmas Eve. Now all Apple has to do is unveil it next week; I'm sure it won't let me down... right?

MORE:

Read our full Apple TV 4K (2022) review

As well as our Sky Stream review

Here are our picks for the best streaming devices

Hot on the heels of its iPhone 18 Pro launch in September, Apple has announced its next event, with an apparent focus on smart home devices.

According to MacRumors, the event, which is titled "Welcome Home", is rumoured to centre around an array of refreshed and all-new products, including a smart lock, doorbell and thermostat. All of which sound interesting, but we're more interested in the potential AV-related announcements.

Luckily for us, it seems as though two hugely overlooked devices in Apple's lineup might finally get some overdue attention, with new versions of the Apple TV 4K and HomePod Mini expected to break cover.

The Apple TV 4K was last updated in 2022, with the current model earning multiple What Hi-Fi? Awards. Speculation over a new model has been rife for several years, although there was suspicion that Apple kept delaying the new model as it's expected to be heavily reliant on the company's Apple Intelligence system; which, as we know, didn't meet expectations.

With Siri AI now established and, from our experience, much more robust than Apple's previous attempt at AI, the Apple TV 4K could now be primed for launch. The new streaming box is also expected to sport an A19 or A19 Pro chip from the iPhone 17 series, and Apple's N1 connectivity chip for improved wi-fi and Bluetooth.

It's also slated to come with an upgraded Siri Remote – our fingers are tightly crossed for backlit buttons – and more RAM is also potentially on the table, too. We are, of course, hoping for picture and sound upgrades too.

Onto the HomePod Mini, its slated to also receive the N1 chip, and a newer S-series processor to support Siri AI. New colours have also been leaked, with new pink and sage green options to choose from. Given that the HomePod Mini hasn't had a proper upgrade since it launched in 2020, we're also expecting an upgrade to sound performance too.

Finally, and on the subject of HomePods, Apple is also expected to launch an all-new addition to the lineup. It's expected to be a home hub for controlling smart devices, with an expected design that blends an iPad with a HomePod.

Two configurations have been rumoured; one with a display and speaker base, and the other that is just a display for managing smart devices and appliances. Amazon and Google have both launched smart speaker/display hybrids previously in the form of the Echo Show and Nest Hub series respectively, so Apple could have its competition cut out.

Apple hasn't confirmed if this will be a full-blown event or if its announcements will come in the form of press releases on its newsroom. Either way, we'll be diligently watching out for information next week, especially if it includes confirmation of our two most highly anticipated products of the year.

MORE:

Read our full Apple TV 4K (2022) review

As well as our Apple HomePod Mini review

And check out our picks for the best wireless speakers

For a new flagship phone from Apple, the iPhone 18 Pro is unusually easy to overlook.

On the one hand, while the iPhone 17 Pro was the biggest redesign of the Pro line in years, this new model looks essentially identical to its predecessor. On the other, Apple's first foldable iPhone is about to arrive, attracting much of the attention that would normally be reserved for a new flagship.

And yet, while the changes to the iPhone 18 Pro may not be immediately obvious, they add up to a phone that's subtly better in some important ways. The new A20 Pro chip brings more power and efficiency, the variable-aperture main camera is an impressive piece of engineering, and battery life has taken a significant step forward.

For us, though, the biggest question is what Apple has done with the bit that hasn't apparently changed. The screen and audio hardware are almost identical to those of the 17 Pro, yet our testing reveals some surprisingly worthwhile improvements to both picture and sound.

Price

There is a disappointment to get out of the way immediately, though: the iPhone 18 Pro is £100 / $100 / AU$100 more expensive than its predecessor was. That means the price for the entry-level 256GB model is £1199 / $1199 / AU$2099.

The 512GB version again commands a premium of £200 / $200 / AU$400, but the cost of the 1TB model has now jumped to a disproportionate £1799 / $1799 / AU$3299.

If that’s still not enough storage for you, there’s also now a 2TB model, which will set you back the princely sum of £2399 / $2399 / AU$4499.

If you’d like a bigger screen, meanwhile, a 6.9-inch iPhone 18 Pro Max costs £100 / $100 / AU$200 more than a 6.3-inch iPhone 18 Pro of the same capacity.

Design

There's very little that's new about the iPhone 18 Pro's design, but that's hardly a complaint.

This is a beautifully made, exceptionally handsome phone, with its combination of smooth surfaces, premium materials and robust construction giving it the kind of in-hand comfort and reassuring solidity you'd expect from a flagship iPhone.

The Ceramic Shield 2 front and Ceramic Shield back should help it withstand the knocks of everyday use, too, and the IP68 rating remains.

At 211g, it's just 7g heavier than the 17 Pro, while the dimensions are identical.

The new colours are Black, Glacier and Burgundy, joining the returning Silver. Our Burgundy review sample looks considerably better in person than it does in pictures, but we don't think it's quite as handsome as the Deep Blue finish of our 17 Pro review sample. It's also a shame that there's no particularly vibrant option this time around, with nothing quite as eye-catching as last year's Cosmic Orange.

Those are minor niggles, though – the iPhone 18 Pro is an absolutely lovely device from a design perspective.

Features

The biggest changes from last year's iPhone 17 Pro are the new A20 Pro chip, a larger vapour chamber for better cooling, longer battery life and an extremely impressive variable aperture on the 48MP Fusion Main camera.

Apple claims that the A20 Pro delivers up to 20 per cent faster CPU performance and up to 40 per cent faster GPU performance than the A19 Pro, while the new cooling system helps deliver up to 40 per cent better sustained performance.

As ever, this is more power than a humble portable movie and music player is ever likely to need, but it will be useful for long sessions on iOS’s most advanced games, and it should make more advanced AI tasks that bit quicker and speed up jobs such as video editing, should that be your sort of thing.

For most of us, perhaps the biggest benefit to all of that power will be how long the phone should remain capable of delivering a satisfying performance – if you’re a content consumer, this is a phone that could last you years.

On the subject of AI, Siri AI is finally available – albeit officially in beta form. This delivers an AI experience much closer to that which many people have become accustomed to with ChatGPT and its rivals, but with added personal depth thanks to integration with your messages, emails, calendar, etc. It’s worth noting, though, that you don’t need to buy the iPhone 18 Pro in order to access Siri AI – it’s available via phones as old as the iPhone 15 Pro.

The iPhone 18 Pro’s more efficient chip, combined with the improved cooling system, also contributes to better battery life, with Apple quoting up to 34 hours of video playback compared with 31 hours for the 17 Pro. Opt for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and that battery life leaps to a whopping 43 hours of video, up from the 37 hours of the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Charging is faster, too. Apple says the 18 Pro can reach 50 per cent charge in around 15 minutes, although you'll need a suitable 60W charger with Adjustable Voltage Supply to achieve that. There's no charger in the box, of course.

The camera system's biggest change is the variable aperture on the 48MP Fusion Main camera, which automatically adjusts for lighting and depth of field. This really is a very impressive feat of engineering, with six laser-cut blades, each thinner than a human hair, arranged in a circle and able to open and close to physically control the amount of light hitting the sensor. This isn’t the first time such technology has been implemented in a phone, but the iPhone 18 Pro is the only mainstream phone that currently features it.

To go with this new pro-style camera hardware are several pro-style software features, including ‘Pro’ controls for the aperture, upgraded photographic style customisations, smart focus tracking and improved low-light video, and cinematic effects can now be applied after you’ve recorded your video.

Of course, this is largely overkill for those of us of a more point-and-shoot persuasion, but the variable aperture does appear to make the promised improvements to low-light shots, which are crisper and more detailed than those we capture with the iPhone 17 Pro. In fact, across the board, we find the iPhone 18 Pro produces subtly sharper photos than its predecessor, even when simply left in the Auto mode.

As ever, though, our real interest lies in the picture and sound performance, and in this respect, on paper, almost nothing has changed.

The one small screen change is that the Dynamic Island has been shrunk, so it should prove even less likely to distract when watching full-screen movies.

Specs-wise, though, this is the same screen as before: a 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with a 2622 x 1206 resolution, 460ppi and ProMotion with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz.

Maximum outdoor brightness remains 3000 nits, HDR format support is once again universal, and Apple quotes a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio and a minimum brightness of 1 nit.

Apple hasn’t flagged any changes to the speaker system or audio hardware, either, so in theory, the iPhone 18 Pro should deliver movies and music exactly as the iPhone 17 Pro does.

Picture quality

Despite the identical screen specs, there are subtle but noticeable differences in the picture quality of the iPhone 18 Pro compared with the iPhone 17 Pro.

Playing F1: The Movie, we’re treated to an awesome contrast-rich, sharp and detailed delivery. The crispness of the rendering of the GT cars in the opening of the scene is superb, even as they bomb along the back straight of Daytona, and the deep, inky OLED blacks give the night-time scene a wonderful presence and solidity.

All of this is true of the iPhone 17 Pro, too, though. The difference lies in colour temperature, with the new model skewing slightly cooler. It’s not so cool as to give the presentation an overly blue, uncinematic appearance, but it does lend the whole scene an even cleaner, punchier look, with highlights that have even more bite. For a movie such as F1, the new balance works brilliantly.

It’s slightly less of a qualified success with a movie such as Shutter Island, though, where the cooler balance removes some of the intentionally old-fashioned richness of the mastering.

In truth, the iPhone 17 Pro perhaps skews a little too warm, exaggerating this richness, and the perfect balance probably lies somewhere between the delivery of the two phones, but the new model makes Leonardo DiCaprio look even more pale than he’s supposed to, and also robs his ridiculous tie of some of its vibrancy. On the other hand, though, peak highlights again pop a little more dynamically, as seen in the ceiling lights of the hospital and gleam off the barrel of a silver pistol.

It’s also worth noting that while the differences are relatively easy to spot when the two phones are viewed side-by-side, in isolation, both models are superb for watching movies on the move – it’s like having a small, high-quality OLED TV in your pocket.

Finally, a word on the Dynamic Island. As mentioned, this has been made smaller for the new iPhone Pro (though it can conversely expand further to present more live information when required).

As before, it’s invisible when watching movies in the default letterbox style, but it intrudes into the picture when you expand it to fill the display. We’ve always found the Dynamic Island surprisingly easy to ignore, with your brain quickly forgetting it’s there, but it’s even less noticeable on the iPhone 18 Pro.

Sound quality

We were really impressed by the iPhone 17 Pro’s spatial openness and organisation, and the iPhone 18 Pro is even better in these regards, albeit only very slightly so.

Watching the opening of F1: The Movie once more, as Sonny peers out at the racetrack from his team’s garage, the degree to which the sound of the cars stretches from far right to far left as they roar along the straight is disarmingly impressive, and the placement of all of the competing effects is even more precise than with last year’s model.

This precision helps dialogue emerge from the chaotic sonic backdrop even more clearly, too, and there’s a very small degree of additional dynamic subtlety and detail to voices.

Of course, we’re still talking about phone speakers here, so while the sound is remarkably impressive for a device this small, it’s still lightweight and shrill by absolute standards, and watching movies this way should really only be a last resort.

That’s even more true of stereo music, although the iPhone 18 Pro is very slightly better than the 17 Pro here, too, with a marginally cleaner and less congested presentation.

Of course, it’s when a pair of headphones is connected that the iPhone produces a sonic performance that’s really worth getting excited about.

Listening to Sleep Token’s The Summoning via a pair of AirPods Max 2 headphones connected via USB-C for maximum quality, the 18 Pro delivers all of the track’s bruising aggression without introducing any hard edges or harshness.

The initial percussive attack hits like a freight train, but the huge punches and massive volume shifts combine with fine detail and subtle low-level dynamics to deliver every part of the epic track’s evolution with the required balance of brutality and beauty.

Tonal balance is superb, too, with the hi-hat tinkling cheekily against the funky bassline of the unexpectedly groovy finale, and Vessel’s rich vocals projected cleanly.

This balance and blend of abilities make the iPhone equally adept with all genres of music, and as we switch from metal to folk, pop, classical and beyond, we’re not once disappointed by the delivery.

Of course, all of this is also true of the iPhone 17 Pro, and it’s true that the differences between the headphone presentations of the two phones are tiny. There is, though, a little additional precision to the leading edges of notes from the new model over the last, which was itself a touch punchier than the model before it. We really are talking minimal margins here, though.

Verdict

The iPhone 18 Pro is an outstanding portable movie and music player, with a superb picture, excellent sound and some surprisingly worthwhile improvements over its predecessor.

The picture remains the real star. The 18 Pro delivers the same exceptional contrast, detail and clarity as the 17 Pro, but its slightly cooler balance gives bright, punchy material such as F1: The Movie even more impact. It's not quite as successful with warmer, more deliberately rich material, but both phones produce an exceptional picture, and the 18 Pro has the edge overall.

Sound is similarly excellent, particularly through headphones, where the 18 Pro delivers superb clarity, dynamics and tonal balance. The built-in speakers are remarkably capable for their size, too, with impressive spatial precision and a slightly more refined presentation than the 17 Pro.

The key thing is that none of these improvements is transformative. If you already own an iPhone 17 Pro, there's no compelling AV reason to upgrade, particularly given the price increase.

For someone buying a new phone, though, the equation is different. The iPhone 18 Pro is a stunning portable AV device in its own right, while its more powerful chip, longer battery life and significantly upgraded camera give it plenty of advantages beyond movies and music.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 5
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the iPhone 17 Pro

Also consider the iPhone 17

Read our Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra review

Best smartphones: the best phones for music and movies

What was the moral of The Boy Who Cried Wolf? Keep telling the same old tale and, eventually, people will stop believing you.

We've had so many false dawns with regard to the new HomePod Mini 2 that we were genuinely starting to believe that a sequel would never come. Apple's recent September launch event seemed like the perfect time for some new HomePods, but we had to settle for a folding iPhone and the AirPods 5 with ANC.

We know we've said it before, but this time it really does appear to be the case: Apple looks set to launch the HomePod Mini 2 at some point before the end of 2026. According to MacRumours, Apple has indeed been working on a new HomePod for several years, hence previous reports of iOS software updates including codenames referencing a number of unreleased products.

One of those codenames was 'B525', and as the current HomePod Mini has the code 'B520', that had strongly implied that a second-gen sequel was forthcoming. We all thought that Apple's recent launch event would be the time to do it, but a no-show on the HomePod front now appears to be a minor hiccup rather than a definitive sign that no new models would ever be forthcoming.

Now, the evidence is far more concrete than codes and call signs. According to MacRumours, Apple's own code shows clear product images of the new models in all of their colours, specifically referring to a "‌HomePod Mini‌ 2".

The new ‌HomePod Mini‌ will come in green, pink, blue, white and black finishes, a switch up from the current model's yellow, orange, blue, white and midnight offerings. Apple added a few colourways post-launch to the HomePod Mini, so it could expand the palette of the second-gen speaker later down the line.

Elsewhere, we're still at the point of broad speculation regarding upgrades, but we remain steadfast in our conviction that, thanks to a new chip, upgraded Apple Intelligence and improved Siri performance will be locked and loaded. We might potentially see improved microphones, enhanced audio, better codec support and, as pictures now showcase, those flashy new colourways.

Prices are yet to be leaked, but we're still hoping that Apple doesn't hike the price of the Mini's original £99 / $99 / AU$149 RRP for the sequel. Sadly, chip shortages are hitting audio manufacturers hard, so don't be too shocked if prices rise when the Mini 2 arrives.

We know we've said it before, but this time it really might be true: a HomePod Mini 2 could be just months, maybe weeks, away. Now, where's that HomePod 3 got to?

MORE:

Apple HomePod 2 vs HomePod Mini: what are the differences?

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Our pick of the best wireless speakers you can buy right now

Apple Music has opened its own concert venue in London. Apple Music Hall is a 600-capacity space located in Battersea Power Station, which is also the site of Apple’s UK headquarters.

Performances will be recorded in Spatial Audio and filmed, ready to be streamed on Apple Music. The idea is for artists to record a podcast, radio show and live concert, all at the same venue.

But Apple claims the venue won’t further harm the capital’s ailing nightlife scene.

“We’re not trying to be in the live business. We’re not trying to compete with anyone,” Apple Music’s vice president, Oliver Schusser, told BBC News.

“We’re going to run the venue like a venue, with tickets and everything, but the sole purpose for us is to do great work with artists, to connect artists with fans, and to broadcast the content on Apple Music.

“We have really no interest in trying to be in the way of anyone else, and that’s one of the main reasons it’s a smaller space.”

It might be smaller, but it looks pretty plush. Designed to be in keeping with the historic building in which it’s housed, it has heritage brickwork, fluted arches and bronze balconies. There’s a giant glass wall overlooking the concourse and river beyond.

Despite these heritage touches, this is a state-of-the-art facility. The 38-foot-wide stage can be reconfigured for traditional front-facing sets or in-the-round experiences. There are 48 spatial speakers positioned around the audience, and behind the stage lies a full production suite of studios ready to mix in Spatial Audio on-the-fly. It’s also hardwired for 16 or more cameras to feed a purpose built broadcast control room.

Apple previously held the annual iTunes Festival in London venues such as The Roundhouse and Koko, with performances from Elton John, Lady Gaga and Adele, among others. Apple renamed the event the Apple Music Festival in 2015 before canning it in 2017.

Schusser hopes the venue will help musicians foster a deeper connection with their fans than is possible with standard music streaming.

“We want our music services not just to be an anonymous place on the internet where you press a button and music starts playing,” he said.

“For most artists, it’s kind of sad in streaming. There’s nothing for them to do. The music gets delivered by the labels, and then it’s a bunch of playlists.

“But [fans] want to have a chance to meet the artists, know more about the artists, understand why they made an album the way they made it.”

Apple Music Hall opens on 28th September, with acts yet to be announced.

Find out more here.

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After months of rumours, speculation and quite a few leaks along the way, Beats’ latest flagship wireless headphones have officially arrived.

The Beats 360 have been in the pipeline for a long while, but the all-new flagship cans have now definitively broken cover, pledging to bring “the best sound and most refined comfort in Beats history” along with them.

Built around a bespoke acoustic platform, the flagship over-ears boast an all-new acoustic architecture with bespoke drivers developed exclusively for the 360. The drivers employ three-layer diaphragms and dual neodymium magnets to create what Beats calls “powerful bass and incredible precision across the tonal range with ultra-low distortion”.

The 360 are also equipped with what Beats describes as its “most powerful noise-cancelling technology”, complemented by a transparency mode that lets users hear their surroundings more readily.

An Adaptive EQ setting works to dynamically adjust acoustic frequencies based on the wearer’s fit for a more personalised sound experience, while Dolby Atmos spatial audio with head tracking promises “deep, immersive audio across music and movies”.

The flagship Beats deliver around 32 hours of battery life with noise-cancelling switched and spatial audio on. Thanks to the headphones’ ‘Fast Fuel’ capabilities, a five-minute charge provides an hour of playback via USB-C.

The Beats 360 are powered by a custom Beats chip for integration across both Apple and Android ecosystems.

That means Apple users get iOS integration, one-touch pairing, access to Apple’s Siri voice assistant and automatic switching between devices, as well as ‘Find My’ capabilities to help locate your headphones using your iPhone. Android users, conversely, benefit from the likes of Android Fast Pair and the ‘Find Hub’ product locator for a smoother user experience.

The 360 are the first over-ear Beats headphones to come with an IPX4 sweat and water resistance rating, so you should be able to take them out in the rain without fear of damage, with Beats promising "an exceptional level of durability" from its latest wireless cans.

The headphones’ ear cushions are acoustically engineered to form an optimal seal that enhances sound isolation and helps deliver a “rich, immersive” audio signature. The flagship Beats also feature interchangeable ear and headband cushion kits to help users make their headphones feel like their own.

The Beats 360 are available now in four core colours – Black, Cloud, Pink or Sky – while cushion kits can be purchased separately across Black, Cloud, Pink, Sky, Navy or Volt options.

The headphones themselves will set you back £300 / $350, while the standard cushion kits will cost £50 / $50 per set. At that kind of money, Beats is pitching the 360 to rival the Sony WH-1000XM6 (currently £359 / $400), the Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless (£330 / $400) and the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 (currently £319 / $429).

MORE:

Read our Beats Studio Pro review

Also consider the Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless

Best over-ear headphones: wired and wireless over-ears for every budget

The new AirPods 5 are out now. Like their predecessors, they come in two variants, but unlike their predecessors, both pairs have active noise cancellation (ANC). So what's the difference? Well, the pricier pair have some extra features to set them apart from their cheaper siblings.

We've now reviewed the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case (the pricier of the two new variants), and can tell you how they stack up against their predecessors, the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. Read on and find out.

Apple AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: specs comparison

Apple AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: price

Before Apple's September launch event, price rises were heavily rumoured – the firm has recently upped its prices on certain products, after all. And while the new iPhones got a price hike, thankfully the new AirPods went the other way.

The AirPods 5 start at £119 / $129 / AU$219 for the base model, rising to £139 / $149 / AU$249 for the variant with the wireless charging case. Both of which compare very favourably with the launch prices of the corresponding AirPods 4 models (£129 / $129 / AU$219 and £179 / $179 / AU$299 respectively).

Apple no longer sells the 4 models, but you can still pick them up at other retailers while stocks last. At time of writing, the AirPods 4 with ANC are only £10 cheaper than the new flagship AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case, so there really isn't much in it. At those prices, we would buy the new model over the old.

Keep a look out around sales time though, when the price of the AirPods 4 with ANC could drop more steeply to shift stock.

** Winner: Apple AirPods 5 **

Apple AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: design

The AirPods 5 are virtually unchanged from their predecessors in terms of design, but there are some tweaks.

The pricier variant of AirPods 5 have a slightly recessed area on the stem so you can feel the on-bud volume controls. Otherwise, they are nigh-on identical visually to their predecessors.

Both pairs of AirPods 5 also have improved dust- and water-resistance: IP57, compared to the IP54 of the AirPods 4 range.

Both the AirPods 5 and 4 have an open-ear design with no eartips. That means their fit might be an acquired taste – some people love it, while others struggle to keep them in their ears.

The new pairs weigh the same 4.3g of the AirPods 4, which makes them barely noticeable in your ears.

All in all, it's another winning design, as we found in our review. But do check the fit before you buy.

** Winner: Draw **

Apple AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: features

The headline news for the AirPods 5 is that both pairs feature active noise cancellation. Whereas the AirPods 4 come in one variant with the feature, and one without.

Apple claims the ANC has been improved, and is now 50 per cent more effective than the same feature on the AirPods 4. It claims this is "the best ANC in an open ear design".

Transparency mode – which allows in some outside sounds to keep you aware of your surroundings – is also more natural, Apple says. And you can use a slider to adjust the balance between noise cancellation and allowing in outside sounds, which is a neat feature.

Live Translation is now available on both pairs of AirPods 5 (on the 4 range, it's only available on the AirPods 4 with ANC, not the base model). Like the AirPods 4, they will work with the new, more conversational Siri AI.

In terms of battery life, the AirPods 5 are disappointing. The cheaper model offers four hours of use, while the model with the wireless charging case ups that to five hours (all with ANC enabled). Which is no improvement on the underwhelming figures from the AirPods 4 models.

The total battery life (including the charging case) is 20 hours from the AirPods 5, and 22 hours from the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case. The AirPods 4 with ANC only last 20 hours, while the non-ANC model extend that to 30 hours.

The pricier model of AirPods 5 has a wireless charging case that works with Qi and Apple Watch chargers, while the cheaper model relies on wired USB-C charging.

The newer models also have all the features of the AirPods 4 range, including Spatial Audio, Conversation Awareness, adaptive audio and Find My features. They also run on the same H2 chip as the AirPods 4 models, and use the same Bluetooth 5.3 tech.

** Winner: Apple AirPods 5 **

Apple AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: noise cancellation

Apple claims the AirPods 5 cancel 50 per cent more noise than their predecessors. While we aren't able to verify that exact claim, we can confirm that the ANC is very impressive, especially considering there are no eartips to help with passive noise isolation (i.e. bunging up your lug holes so no outside sound gets in).

General background noise like traffic and office chitchat is made much quieter, though higher frequencies do slip through the net. But the lower frequencies are definitely blocked more comprehensively than on the AirPods 4 with ANC.

The effect is much more powerful, too. Again, that's made all the more impressive by the buds' design.

We found the AirPods 4 with ANC's noise cancellation worked very well indeed. They get around the lack of a seal offered by eartips by targeting low-end frequencies. "The rumble of engines on the road, the grinding hum of trains, the exhaust fan in the kitchen – it all disappears. It’s quite impressive," we wrote in our AirPods 4 with ANC review.

While you're not encased in a bubble of silence as with the best noise-cancelling earbuds, they do cancel enough noise to make your music clear without the need to crank up the volume and potentially damage your hearing. It's also a much more natural and comfortable experience than some more suction-y forms of ANC.

In summary: AirPods 4 good, AirPods 5 better.

** Winner: Apple AirPods 5 **

Apple AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: sound

The AirPods 5's new multi-port acoustic architecture and next-generation adaptive EQ claim to improve sound quality, with "richer, more detailed sound across a wider range of ear geometries". Personalised Spatial Audio should also be more immersive and dynamic.

So Apple says. But do the claims stack up?

Yes, but the sound is not without fault. You get the same trademark Apple sonic balance (detailed, agile, natural, open), but it's taken on a step from the previous generation. Not a massive step, admittedly, but the improvements are there.

We noted "greater extension and weight in the lower frequencies" in our AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case review. And the amount of sheer grunt these buds deliver is definitely impressive, especially given their semi-open design.

There's detail and spaciousness in spades, while highs have plenty of headroom and never sound hemmed in. The sound is noticeably more heavyweight than the AirPods 4, though sometimes that can tip the balance and obscure some of the finer detail of a track.

The AirPods 4 pleased us with their "clarity and detail, agility and balance, along with a focus on voices that make them immediately appealing to listen to," we wrote in our AirPods 4 with ANC review.

They offer plenty of space between instruments, with plenty of textural detail and depth. High notes soar without a hint of brightness, while they remain dynamically engaging throughout.

They do sound a little lightweight compared to the newer, weightier siblings, though their leaner sound is better suited to certain tracks – lending them a sweeter, more agile presentation.

The new model is an improvement, though some may prefer the delicacy of the AirPods 4's balance, with certain tracks, at least.

** Winner: Apple AirPods 5 **

Apple AirPods 5 vs AirPods 4: verdict

The AirPods 5 have more features, more power and more punch, which goes some way to overriding the compromises of a semi-open earbud design. They're not a massive improvement on the previous generation, but they do sound more satisfying.

Their weightier sound can tend to overwhelm the more subtle details in some tracks though, so fans of genres like classical might prefer the more delicate balance of the AirPods 4. Especially if the older pair drop in price, which we're expecting them to.

All eyes on the sales...

** Overall winner: Apple AirPods 5 **

MORE:

Read our Apple AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case review

And our Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation review

I test headphones for a living but can’t make sense of the AirPods 5 launch

Ah, September. A turning point for many as children head back to school, summer turns to autumn and, inevitably, people look towards the end of the year.

That's no bad thing, however – there's plenty to look forward to in the rest of 2026, especially in the dynamic worlds of hi-fi and home cinema.

With IFA and the Apple September event now concluded, we have plenty of new product releases to look forward to, including offerings from heavyweights such as Apple, Sonos and Sony.

That's not all, though! An HDR war is on the horizon as Dolby Vision 2 and HDR10+ Advanced start rolling out across consumer TVs, and RGB Mini LED is now out on the market and facing its first sales season.

So don't start planning Christmas just yet – we've got all this to come...

The HDR format war heats up

It's been a long time in the making, but the next generation of HDR formats is finally here.

Dolby Vision 2 launched on select Hisense TVs on 6th August, with more models set to receive the firmware update over time.

Not to be outdone, HDR10+ Advanced also launched on select Samsung TVs last month, setting the stage for a good old-fashioned format war that the AV industry can't help but love.

Supported TVs are still rather limited, as are compatible streaming services – Dolby Vision 2 has only been confirmed for Peacock, CANAL+ and iQIYI so far, whereas HDR10+ Advanced is currently only on Prime Video.

However, support is only set to grow, so it will be interesting to see how the next few months unfold – we're looking forward to having a closer look in our test room as well...

A Sonos double bill

IFA saw the launch of not one, but two key Sonos products – the long-awaited Sonos Beam Ultra soundbar and Sonos Ace Ultra wireless headphones.

The Beam Ultra is not a replacement for the beloved five-star Sonos Beam (Gen 2), but instead a step-up model with up-firing Atmos drivers as the big selling point. We'll be sure to test it as soon as possible, but we were very impressed when we heard a demo session.

The Sonos Ace Ultra are a more interesting proposition, as they are only the American brand's second wireless headphones. We were left underwhelmed by the three-star Sonos Ace, but the new drivers, refined tuning and upgraded ANC of the Ultra model look to rectify many of our misgivings.

The Sonos Beam Ultra and Ace Ultra both release on 29th September.

Good things come in threes for Sony

When it rains, it pours. The release of new Sony wireless headphones is always a cause for celebration, but three have come along at once.

Granted, one of them is an update of an old favourite: the Sony WH-1000XM4C is a redesign of the five-star WH-1000XM4, now with EU-compliant batteries and a tweaked sound more akin to the WH-1000XM6. Battery life has dropped from 30 hours to 27 hours, but luckily so has the price tag: the WH-1000XM4C retails for £219 / $300 / AU$449.95.

The other two are newer proposals, even if they are budget offerings. The Sony WH-CH530 and WH-CH730N replace two of the cheapest five-star headphones we recommend, with several upgrades and tweaks to the already great-value cans.

The WH-CH730N have had a notable redesign from the WH-CH720N they replace, with a smoother, more premium look similar to the Sonos Ace. They also fold away and boast a titanic 75-hour battery life.

The Sony WH-CH530 are very similar to the WH-CH520 aesthetically, but have a longer 55-hour battery life. Both models also claim to have a sonic boost thanks to improved digital signal processing and algorithms, as well as upgraded noise-cancelling thanks to Sony's 'Dual Noise Sensor' technology and beamforming microphones.

All three Sony headphones are available now. We look forward to welcoming them to our test room very soon!

Apple joins the folding craze

We're sure you've seen that slick folding animation all over social media by now, but yes, Apple has announced the long-rumoured foldable iPhone. The iPhone Duo has an outer display measuring 5.4 inches and an inner display coming in at 7.6 inches, with speakers at the top and bottom of the screen for spatial audio.

We awarded five stars to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 only a few weeks ago, so the Duo is up against some tough competition. However, we're excited about what the Duo's aspect ratio and wide-angle OLEDs could mean for movie and TV watching.

More of a surprise, however, was the AirPods 5. ANC is now available even on the base model, as well as several AirPods Pro 3 features such as a new multi-port acoustic architecture, transparency mode and live translation.

Two models were announced, with the more expensive version coming with a wireless charging case, volume swipe controls and an extra hour of battery life. We're excited about the AirPods 5, but the four hours of battery life on the base model has left us scratching our heads.

The iPhone 18 range also launched with two new Pro models, with a heavy emphasis on AI and camera upgrades.

The AirPods 5 and iPhone 18 range will be released on 18th September, with the iPhone Duo following on 23rd September.

RGB Mini LED faces its first big sales test

The other big display technology of 2026, RGB Mini LED finally entered our test rooms this spring after months of anticipation.

It's fair to say that while we were impressed with sets such as the Sony Bravia 9 II, the backlit technology was not about to eclipse the impressive contrast, perfect blacks and wide viewing angles of OLED in our eyes.

However, with Black Friday and the biggest TV sales event of the year on the horizon, consumers may well think otherwise. One of our biggest gripes with RGB Mini LED was the OLED-level price, so a healthy discount in the sales week could do wonders – we've already seen huge drops on the Hisense UR9 and Sony Bravia 7 II. Only time will tell...

MORE:

These are the best phones for serious music and movie fans

Our picks of the best wireless headphones

We rank the best soundbars money can buy

Apple finally lifted the lid on its most anticipated smartphone to date, with the iPhone Duo marking the Californian tech giant's first step into the foldable phone market.

While Apple spent most of its annual iPhone event touting the AI (that's Apple Intelligence, not Artificial Intelligence, by the way) capabilities and camera quality of its first foldable, we did get a sneak peek at how movies will look and sound on the phone.

An uninterrupted, anti-glare-equipped 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR display with "Wide-angle OLEDs for excellent viewing angles", alongside a stereo speaker system that supports spatial audio, should make this the best AV product to come from Apple this year; and that's an issue in itself...

Apple neglected to update its 4K streaming box yet again, despite rumours that an upgraded version has been in the works for years now. Delays are cited as being caused by Apple having to overhaul its Apple Intelligence system after it fell short of expectations after its launch alongside the iPhone 16 series.

The new Apple TV 4K is expected to rely heavily on the upgraded Siri system shown off during the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event, and a new rumour even suggests that it could sport the same A19 or A19 Pro chipset from the iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Pro, respectively.

While rumours don't always tell the full picture, the truth of the matter is that Apple is really dragging its feet with the new Apple TV 4K. It's already lost some goodwill by raising the price of the existing TV 4K from £149 to £199 for the 64GB model, and from £169 to £249 for the 128GB model, earlier this year.

And need I remind you that the price increase has been applied to a product that launched almost four years ago.

A new Apple TV 4K is the real AV-focused announcement that I'm waiting for, and I feel as though my patience really isn't paying off at this point. I wrote this rant almost exactly a year ago (a year ago yesterday, actually), venting my frustrations and claiming that "I am losing patience"; if I was starting to lose patience in September of last year, you can imagine how I feel now.

While I am genuinely excited to try the iPhone Duo out, and I'm sure it will make a stellar portable movie-watching machine, I prefer to watch my movies on an OLED TV or projector, which is why I'm waiting for Apple to make a proper announcement for home cinema enthusiasts.

In the meantime, I'll keep waiting for Apple to finally pull the plug on the ageing (but still excellent) Apple TV 4K (2022); surely it can't be much longer now...

MORE:

Read our full Apple TV 4K (2022) review

As well as our Apple iPhone 17 Pro review

And check out our picks for the best streaming devices for movies and TV

Apple's long-rumoured AirPods with a camera – potentially called AirPods Ultra – made no appearance at the 9th September iPhone 18 launch event, with the release now rumoured to be pushed back to 2027.

Honestly? I'm happy that it was a no-show.

I think this is a wise decision. Not only does this mean that the focus is rightly on the new AirPods 5 models and the brand-new foldable iPhone Duo, but it gives Apple more time to iron out any kinks with these rumoured AirPods with camera (that's assuming it's a real product, of course).

AirPods with a camera were touted as early as 2024, with reports suggesting they will feature embedded IR cameras, centred around augmented reality. This is with a view to them working with Apple's Visual Intelligence, rather than capturing images and video directly.

Considering the current controversy surrounding the Meta glasses that can be used to record images and videos without people's consent and without making the fact they're recording obvious, I can't really imagine Apple going for a similar kind of camera embedded into small earbuds.

Apple has a reputation for being privacy-focused, so the cameras being used for features such as enhancing ANC, spatial awareness, or for accessibility reasons based on your surroundings (which are current best guesses) rather than actually capturing real pictures or videos around you seem more likely.

As reported by MacRumors, a video seen in a macOS Tahoe release doc shows short-term practical applications, such as identifying a book to save it for later.

AI and AI-powered features are all the rage today, and Apple Intelligence/Siri isn't exactly leading the popular race. With the updated, more conversational Siri AI that launched today with the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max – and which makes a big deal about protecting users' data and privacy – this could be a way for Apple to differentiate itself from the likes of Gemini, Claude and ChatGPT, and offer practical solutions that embed into users' iOS-led lives in a way that isn't too frivolous like generative AI.

The AirPods with camera, or AirPods Ultra, are rumoured to effectively be integrated in a souped-up pair of AirPods Pro 3, but considering the wealth of features already stacked into the Pro 3's compact buds (live translation, health features, various ANC modes and more) the current H2 chip would be working overtime.

It's not hard to imagine this would have a knock-on effect on battery life, along with perhaps less focus on improving overall performance – and that's not a trade-off I would be happy with.

And that's the key thing here: yes, technology advances in many ways, and it's exciting to have new possibilities, especially when products such as wireless earbuds have become so embedded in our busy, multi-tasking lives.

But I hope Apple doesn't forget what the AirPods' main purpose is: to allow people to enjoy their music.

Of course, Apple could use the proposed AirPods Ultra launch to launch an all-new, more powerful H3 chip. If it does, I hope it brings with it more advancements and improvements in the areas we really care about: sound quality, ANC quality, and battery life.

Camera or no camera, the current AirPods Pro 3 are a pretty great-sounding pair of 'buds. While the class leader, the Sony WF-1000XM6, still rules the roost here, the premium Pro 3 are a five-star pair whose nicely balanced, clear and dynamic sound is enjoyable with all genres, while ANC quality is excellent.

We wouldn't hesitate to recommend them for iOS die-hards, especially if you – like us – are all about the performance, and prioritise sound quality over fancy features.

Apple does a great job of refining features and improving performance, but it can sometimes be incremental – let's hope the next pair is a much bigger step forward in sound quality.

MORE:

Apple AirPods 5 boast improved ANC and updated acoustic architecture for a "richer, more detailed sound"

Read our Apple AirPods Pro 3 review

Our guide to the best wireless earbuds you can buy, tested by our in-house experts

It’s official – Apple’s first foldable smartphone is here. The “compact, pocketable” new model is called the iPhone Duo, and the US tech giant claims it offers both the thinnest and largest iPhone display ever made when open.

The smartphone opens like a passport, with the outer display measuring 5.4 inches and the inner display coming in at 7.6 inches. With the outer display, you get 90 per cent of the screen area of the iPhone 18 Pro, which was also just announced at the Apple event this evening.

In both orientations, the screens sport an identical aspect ratio to help transitions between screens feel more seamless, whether it is open or closed.

John Ternus, Apple’s freshly appointed CEO, says: “iPhone Duo is the most transformational change to iPhone since the original.”

The speakers for the Duo are placed on the top and bottom of the phone to deliver spatial audio.

Under the hood, you will find the A20 Pro chip, which is also included in the new iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. According to Apple, this upgrade means that it can deliver up to 35 per cent “better sustained performance” than the iPhone 17 Pro. On top of that, the phone is powered by iOS 27. This means that the controls are moved to the side of the screen to free up some space.

There’s some pretty nifty technology in terms of the screen, too. The nano-texture finish supposedly “minimises glare for an unparalleled viewing experience.” The first layer of the screen is glass, and below that is the folding display panel featuring custom adhesives that allow the layers to glide past one another “like the pages of a book” to relieve tension from bending.

It also has a 48MP Fusion Main camera, a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide, and an integrated optical-quality x2 Telephoto.

For brightness, Apple says you can get up to 3000 nits of peak outdoor brightness. That comfortably outdoes the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s 2600 nits, but is on par with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra's offering of 3000 nits.

The hinge in the middle is made of titanium and engineered from more than 100 components to create a “smooth, satisfying feel”. Inside the body, there are also support ribs to add extra stiffness.

If you’re worried about scuffing your fresh screen, there is a Ceramic Shield on the back of the phone and a Ceramic Shield 2 on the front that Apple says has three times better scratch resistance than the previous generation.

In terms of battery, there’s a bit of variation depending on which screen you use more. You can get up to 31 hours of video playback with the inner display, up to 44 hours of video playback with the outer, and up to 24 hours of usage per charge when both are used equally.

It’s the most expensive of the phones announced at Apple’s event as, for US buyers, the Duo will set you back an eye-watering $1999 / £1999 (roughly AU$2770) for 256GB.

That puts it in the same ballpark as the Samsung Z Fold 8 Ultra, which launched at £1899 / $2099 / AU$2999. We haven't had any time with the Duo, but with a promising set of specifications it should make for strong competition. Hopefully we'll get one in for testing soon. Watch this space.

MORE:

I've just reviewed the five-star Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, so here are my immediate impressions of its biggest rival yet: the iPhone Duo

I'm excited for Apple's newly announced AirPods 5 – but one major issue has me scratching my head

Here is our review of the iPhone 17 Pro

Apple’s events have never been known for their music. Outside of a 2014 snafu when it forced a U2 album on its customers, regardless of whether they wanted it, the firm likes to play it safe.

Muzak and the occasional foray into popular, mainstream acts are generally the official soundtracks of its launch events.

You know, the stuff you could play in front of your grandparents and at worst, they’d just look slightly confused, but probably find a way to happily tap along nonetheless.

But during this year’s iPhone launch, rather than the dulcet tones of Bono or whelps of Chris Martin, as the event trundled on, it was Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke’s voice that was ringing loud and clear – at least in my head.

Specifically, the iconic lyric “no alarms and no surprises” from the band’s 1997 banger of a single, No Surprises, was playing on repeat as the firm rattled off this year’s offerings.

Why? I’m not smart enough to pretend there’s any deep or philosophical meaning behind the thought.

It’s just that, as a serious music and movie nerd, that’s precisely what Apple delivered: no alarms and no surprises. Which made it a far better soundtrack than the official one – which I’ve already forgotten – and the reason I couldn’t get it out of my head.

Unlike days of yesteryear, when founder and former CEO Steve Jobs would famously always have “one more thing” to surprise fans, the pre-event rumours proved to be bang on the money.

New iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max handsets, with the standard smattering of tech upgrades, headlined by a new A20 Pro chipset and an assortment of AI upgrades. And then the new folding iPhone Duo handset people have been harping on about for just shy of half a decade.

Then the new AirPods 5 with ANC, as rumoured by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman before the event, which look like a nice refinement on the AirPods 4 with ANC – though I wish Apple had spent more time talking about the audio quality upgrades rather than all the clever AI gubbins, and had managed to deliver more than five hours of playback with ANC on.

Finally, the new Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 wearables, which come with yet more AI-powered health features and an Audio Intelligence live transcription service that lets you record, transcribe and check conversations in realtime – but sadly not the hi-res local music playback I’ve long asked for.

Yes, I like some of the stuff on offer, especially the 18 Pro’s new burgundy (Apple missed a trick not calling it Ron) colour and the in-frame camera mode for audio, which lets you cut out background noise when capturing a live performance.

And yes, technically Apple did say "and one more thing" before unveiling the Duo, despite every man/woman and their dog already knowing about it.

And, finally, yes, the two AirPods 5 models look decent, though I’m not impressed with either pair's quoted battery life with ANC on.

But that was it. There was nothing else on show to give us the old Apple “and one more thing” experience where we saw something we really were not expecting, and that, for me, is a crying shame.

Remember when Jobs' “one more thing” unveiled the Apple Cinema Display (a monitor with an atypical, at the time, 16:9 aspect ratio that was ideal for watching films)?

Or 2005, when he surprised us with the iPod Shuffle, and then, one year later, the first Apple TV?

Heck, he may not be as much of a showman as Jobs, but I can still hear the collective “ooh” from the team after Tim Cook’s “one more thing” unveiling of Apple Music in 2015.

To be clear (before I get hunted with torches and pitchforks by the Apple fans among our readers), that’s not a dig at the new hardware from the event – the new iPhones are as interesting as mobile devices can be for AV aficionados.

The firm has a strong record of delivering decent audio and picture quality on its iPhones, after all. That’s why, if you look at our list of Award-winners over the past decade, you’ll tend to see an iPhone on top as our recommended handset for serious music fans. So even a minor spruce-up to its offering is at least partially of interest.

And its foldable iPhone Duo has piqued my interest more than usual, as it has a similar movie-friendly aspect ratio to the five-star Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8.

If either AirPods 5 manages to fix our minor issues with the previous generation's lack of punch and dynamism, they could be great. So again, it's not about the tech it unveiled being particularly bad. We need to review it before we make any judgements like that.

I just wish it had something more meaty to show serious AV fans. Forget the Apple OLED TV or Dolby Atmos soundbar the team and I have been asking for; at this point, like our senior staff writer, Lewis Empson, I’d settle for a new Apple TV 4K.

Truthfully, I just want new stuff that hasn’t already been fully revealed in the sea of pre-event rumours to start appearing at Apple’s events again, as right now it all feels a bit stagnant.

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It has been a long time coming, but Apple has finally thrown its hat into the foldable smartphone ring.

The iPhone Duo is Apple's answer to Samsung's dominant Z Fold range, which includes the recently reviewed Z Fold 8 – a five-star phone that convinced me foldables have reached the point where I could happily switch from a slab phone to a bendy one.

Apple's effort, however, will convince any remaining holdouts that this is the case. Like it or not, Apple's influence is so huge that this new foldable will win over naysayers who would never have taken a second look at a Samsung foldable simply because it runs Android.

Thankfully, the iPhone Duo is an exciting announcement for AV enthusiasts, especially those who rely on their phone for entertainment on long flights and train rides, such as myself.

While Apple barely spoke about the AV capabilities of the handset during its presentation, we do know that it has a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display, 3000 nits peak brightness on both displays, and stereo speakers that support spatial audio.

It even has an under-screen front-facing camera for uninterrupted video, which is a concept that Samsung used on its Z Fold phones a few years ago.

For reference, the Z Fold 8 has a 5.5-inch cover display and a 7.6-inch main display; now I won't point fingers at who is copying who here, but there have been years of leaks and rumours pointing towards the then-called iPhone Fold adopting this form factor. Samsung was the first out of the gate with this design though, so it's a tricky one to call.

Regardless, I think this is the correct move. While Apple hasn't confirmed the iPhone Duo's aspect ratio yet, it appears to follow the Z Fold 8's lead with a display that squashes letterboxing bars. This should make it pretty fantastic for watching movies and TV shows on the go, and it has an edge over the Samsung thanks to the inclusion of Dolby Vision HDR.

Interestingly, Apple has matched the aspect ratio on the outer and inner displays for a more "continuous" experience, which seems like a smart move, but I'll need to compare the iPhone directly to the Z Fold to see how this works in practice.

Apple also said that it has taken direct inspiration from the iPad lineup during its event, which also saw the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max and AirPods 5 break cover, and that could hint towards the iPhone Duo being a follow-up to another Apple product we've previously championed.

The bendable Super Retina XDR OLED display with the Nano Texture anti-reflectivity coating sounds like a chip off the iPad Pro block; and while it looks like Apple has left Tandem OLED to the iPad Pro, the iPhone Duo could be our closest thing to an OLED iPad Mini.

Now, Samsung's latest foldable smartphone really did impress us; so much so that it earned a well-deserved five-star review. That's not to say it's completely perfect, though, and there is some room for improvement where audio is concerned.

Given Apple's stellar reputation for sound, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Duo outperform the Z Fold 8 in this category, as Apple's tuning leans more towards a warmer, more spacious hi-fi sound that's hard to beat.

That said, picture could be a closer race, and these smartphones might be heading towards a ferocious bendable battle, especially as we close in on our Awards testing process...

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And our Apple iPhone 17 review

Apple has launched the next generation of its standard wireless earbuds, the AirPods 5.

As before, it comes in two model variants without eartips, with the big news being that both models now feature active noise cancellation. The more expensive AirPods 5 feature on-stem volume control, longer battery life with ANC on, and a wireless charging case.

They're an update on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC that launched two years ago on September 2024, and feature improvements to sound quality, ANC and the transparency mode, plus live translation capability.

The AirPods 5 will cost £119 / $129, while the AirPods 5 with wireless charging case will cost £139 / $149 – both go on sale on 18th September, with pre-orders starting today.

The AirPods 5 see an updated open-ear design, with a new multi-port acoustic architecture and next-generation adaptive EQ to improve sound quality. Apple says the new AirPods 5 deliver "richer, more detailed sound across a wider range of ear geometries", as well as making personalised spatial audio more immersive and dynamic.

Combined with improved "computational audio algorithms" Apple claims the improved ANC quality offers 50 per cent more noise reduction than the previous generation to deliver what Apple has called "the best ANC in an open ear design". The transparency mode has also been improved to be more "natural", says Apple.

Apple says the new AirPods 5 are "more durable than ever", with an increased IP57 rating for dealing with rain, sweat and dust ingress.

The AirPods 5 can be used hands-free in conjunction with the new, more conversational Siri AI, and both models will now also feature live translation, which was previously a feature reserved for the flagship Pro 3 and Pro 2 models.

In terms of battery life, the standard AirPods 5 offer four hours with ANC enabled on a single charge, with up to 20 hours with the included standard USB-C charging case.

The more premium AirPods 5 with wireless charging case offer five hours of on-ear battery with ANC on, and 22 hours with the charging case. This step-up model also features the on-stem volume controls – another feature borrowed from the AirPods Pro 3. The wireless charging case means it will work with Qi and Apple Watch chargers, while the standard AirPods 5 is restricted to wired USB-C charging only.

Both AirPods 5 will also support the usual iOS-focused features, such as spatial audio, conversation awareness, adaptive audio and Find My features.

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Apple has announced the iPhone 18 range with three new models: the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, and its first foldable, the iPhone Duo.

That's right, as expected, the standard iPhone 18 model is nowhere to be seen. Rumours say it will launch next year.

iPhone Duo

The iPhone Duo opens like a paperback book, and is about the size of a passport. When open, it's the slimmest iPhone ever, and it has an asymmetrical shape with two rounded corners that could split opinion.

Both screens have the same aspect ratio, which should help content look its best across both. As was rumoured, the exterior screen is a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR display, while the cover screen is 5.4 inches.

Perhaps mindful of how other foldables have broken in the past, Apple made a big deal about how durable it is. It features support rifts in the central support plank, for example. It's also rated IP68 water- and dust-resistant.

The control buttons move to the side vertically for easier reach, and the screen reacts depending on how you're using it. Partially close it, for example, and iOS moves the tappable buttons away from the seam, where they're harder to press.

The iPhone Duo comes in two colours: Star White and Night Sky. And it boasts an impressive battery life of 31 hours using the internal screen, and 44 hours using the cover screen.

As expected, Apple's first foldable is certainly pricey. It starts at £1999 / $1999 / AU3499 for the 256GB model, rising to £3199 / $3199 / AU$5899 for the flagship 2GB variant. It isn't available until 23rd October, with pre-orders starting on 16th October.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

For the Pro models, Apple says it has upgraded four key areas: intelligence, performance, battery and camera. The screens are the same as those in the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, but don't dismay – there are usually some improvements to audio and video that Apple omits to mention during the launch, so stay tuned for our reviews.

These phones are powered by the new A20 chipset, which Apple claims is 20 per cent faster with 40 per cent faster graphics performance. The transistors in the new architecture are smaller and more densely packed, while Apple says its supercores are desktop-class. It also boasts better thermal management, which helps the battery life.

Speaking of which, both models last longer than their predecessors. The iPhone 18 Pro has the same battery life as the iPhone 17 Pro Max, while the 18 Pro Max has the largest increase in battery life of any iPhone. The Pro lasts 36 hours of video playback, and the Pro Max 45 hours. For general use, the Pro lasts 24 hours and the Pro Max 30 hours.

As rumoured, both models have a new variable aperture which adjusts automatically to let in more light as required. This will create a better depth of field and more stunning portraits. You can now record timelapse in 4K Dolby Vision HDR, and Pro Controls lets you manually adjust the aperture between four presets.

The Dynamic Island is now smaller, and can show three live activities at once.

Siri AI is more advanced, being more personal and capable, and works across apps. The new Siri app lets you dive back into old conversations, and Siri is built into the camera. You can also customise Siri's voice. But Siri AI isn't available in the EU for now.

The Pros have a subtle new design, and a new burgundy colour scheme.

The Pro starts at £1199 / $1199 and the Pro Max £1299 / $1299. There's a new 2TB model for power users.

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It's *gasp* September. But before we start an existential crisis about how the year is moving too fast, the evenings are getting darker and it will be Christmas before we know it, it's time for our Pick of the Month column.

Here, our reviewers once again look back at all the great products that passed through our test rooms this month.

As you'd expect, these products have all been put through the proverbial wringer by our dedicated testing teams. Only devices that earned five stars are included here, with a whopping seven joining the club this month.

So luckily, we've done the hard work of sorting the wheat from the chaff – so take a look, and we'll explain why we rate them so highly below.

• Quiz! I made a TV tech crossword to test your knowledge - can you get 100%?

The Apple iPhone 17 Pro may have a successor in only a matter of days, but we still highly recommend it, especially now that it's available discounted. It's the best iPhone yet for movies and music, with a gorgeous but balanced picture and superb sound.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a pricey but brilliant portable movie machine with a bright, punchy and detailed picture and a new content-friendly aspect ratio. If you've been considering a folding phone, this is the most compelling option we've reviewed so far.

The smallest speakers in Dali’s new Sonik range follow in the footsteps of their floorstanding sibling, the five-star Sonik 5, with expressive, well-balanced sound and solid build quality. The Dali Sonik 1 will also forgive less than ideal placement, making them a strong choice for music lovers without a dedicated listening space.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is as close to cinematic as a tablet can get, with a huge Dynamic AMOLED 2X display screen and a peak brightness of 1600 nits. You'll want to make use of broader performance features and beefy specs for this price, but this is the Android tablet to beat for movies and music on the go.

Amazon's Fire Tablet range has long been incredibly good value, and the Amazon Fire HD 8 is no different. Available for well under £100 when on sale, the Fire HD 8 absolutely nails the basics when it comes to movies and music – and regularly surpasses them.

Yamaha continues one of head-fi's greatest comebacks. The Yamaha YH-C3000 sets a new standard in their high-end class, with a fast, clear, natural sound and fluid, expressive dynamics.

The Roksan Caspian 4G Streaming Pre-Amplifier/Caspian 4G Power Amplifier has some big shoes to fill, but does so effortlessly. The pairing is a refreshingly forward-looking combination with the sonic talent to worry the class leaders, and makes us highly excited for what Roksan does next. You'll have to purchase them separately – the Caspian 4G Power Amplifier is at Richer Sounds for £2999.

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Hands up; we’re pretty late to this one.

In fact, if Apple does as expected, the iPhone 17 Pro we have before us today will be replaced in just a couple of weeks.

So, why bother reviewing the iPhone 17 Pro at this late stage? There are two main reasons: it will likely be available to buy for a little while yet, and probably at a discount; and it gives us a good benchmark to judge the new model against.

As ever, we’re interested in the iPhone 17 Pro not for its rocket ship power or fancy camera array (though those are interesting), but for its picture and sound quality. We want to know if this is the best phone for taking movies and music with you on the move.

And it is – for the next couple of weeks, at least.

Price

The iPhone 17 Pro launched with a starting price of £1099 / $1099 / AU$1999, but it is now possible to get discounts of around £100 in the UK if you shop around.

That price gets you the entry-level 256GB version (Apple is no longer offering a 128GB Pro model), but 512GB and 1TB versions are also available, at a premium of £200 / $200 / AU$400 and £400 / $400 / AU$800 respectively.

If the 17 Pro’s 6.3-inch display isn’t large enough for you, an upgrade to the 6.9-inch Max will incur an additional premium of £100 / $100 / AU$200.

Design

The iPhone 17 Pro represents Apple's biggest design change to its Pro phones in several years, and it's one that took a little getting used to.

The most obvious change is the enormous new camera plateau, which now stretches almost the entire width of the phone. It looked rather shocking when we first saw it, but after spending time with the phone, we've come to think it gives the 17 Pro a more natural and balanced appearance than the asymmetrically placed square camera bump of its predecessor.

The move from titanium to aluminium also sounds like a step backwards for a phone at this level, but in practice it brings some advantages. The edges are smoother and more rounded than those of the 16 Pro, making the 17 Pro feel more comfortable in the hand, while Apple's new anodised finishes give it a character that's been missing from some of the more sober recent Pro models.

Our Deep Blue review sample is particularly lovely, with a rich, almost pearlescent finish that changes subtly as it catches the light. We're also rather taken with the Cosmic Orange option, although its unapologetically bold appearance inevitably divides opinion.

In fact, while the iPhone 17 Pro's design doesn't necessarily come across as dramatically different in photographs, this is an absolutely beautiful phone in the flesh, and one that feels every bit as premium as its price suggests. It's the most appealing-looking and nicest-feeling iPhone we've used in several years.

The physical controls remain unchanged from the 16 Pro, with volume controls and the Action button on one side, and the power/Siri and Camera Control buttons on the other.

The bottom edge has also been subtly revised, with both speaker grilles now appearing to be the same size rather than one being noticeably smaller than the other on the previous model.

The 17 Pro retains the same IP68 water and dust resistance as its predecessor, too; we even put that to a fairly vigorous test at Bude's Monster Slip And Slide, where it continued recording video while getting thoroughly soaked without any adverse effects.

Apple's new Tech Woven case is a particularly nice companion to the phone. Its woven finish feels more tactile and premium than many conventional cases, while the understated design complements rather than obscures the 17 Pro's new appearance.

The result is a Pro iPhone that feels both familiar and substantially refreshed. The camera plateau may take some getting used to, but the smoother shape, tactile finishes and excellent in-hand feel have made us rather fond of Apple's latest design.

Features

The iPhone 17 Pro's headline display specifications don’t look radically different to those of its predecessor. It's still a 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with a 2622 x 1206 resolution, 460ppi pixel density, ProMotion up to 120Hz and an Always-On display. The big changes are to what's happening on top of that excellent OLED panel.

Apple has introduced a new anti-reflective coating that it claims reduces reflections by 33 per cent, while outdoor peak brightness has increased from 2000 nits on the iPhone 16 Pro to a huge-sounding 3000 nits.

Apple says these two changes combine to deliver up to twice the outdoor contrast of the previous model. We'll examine what that means in practice in the Picture Quality section, but the ability to maintain a convincing picture when you're watching in bright sunlight is particularly relevant to a phone intended to carry your movies everywhere.

For AV consumption, the format support is excellent, too. The iPhone 17 Pro can play HDR content in the HLG, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision formats, and Dolby Atmos is supported on the audio side.

What’s perhaps most interesting from our point of view is that all of the above also applies to the standard iPhone 17, which boasts the same OLED display with the same specs and the same anti-reflection tech. It will be fascinating to see if this is borne out in our picture testing.

The other major upgrade for the iPhone 17 Pro over the 16 Pro is Apple's A19 Pro chip and new thermal management system. The new chip retains a six-core CPU and 16-core Neural Engine, but the new six-core GPU now has a Neural Accelerator in each core, improving its ability to handle demanding graphics and AI-based tasks.

Just as important, though, is the new thermal management system. The 17 Pro's aluminium unibody is more than 20 times more thermally conductive than the titanium used previously, according to Apple, and it incorporates a vapour chamber that moves heat away from the A19 Pro and into the aluminium chassis. Apple claims this allows up to 40 per cent better sustained performance than the previous generation.

For most content consumers, such as us, this level of power is essentially overkill – the 17 Pro operates with the sort of slickness you'd expect from a flagship phone and can handle graphically intensive games without breaking a sweat.

The more important benefit is the sheer amount of headroom it provides, and the ability to maintain high performance over longer periods without thermal throttling. In practical terms, that means higher frame rates during long gaming sessions and a better chance of the phone still feeling effortlessly quick several years from now. Of course, if you are going to use your phone for content creation as well as consumption, all of this extra power becomes considerably more useful.

Apple has also substantially upgraded the camera system. The 48MP Fusion Main camera remains, but the Ultra Wide and Telephoto cameras are now 48MP Fusion models, too.

The Fusion branding refers to Apple's image-processing architecture as much as the sensors themselves, with computational processing combining multiple sources of image data to produce a final shot.

The camera system is also more flexible when it comes to zoom. Alongside the 0.5x ultra-wide and 1x main views, you can now choose 2x, 4x or 8x optical zoom, giving you more options for getting close to a subject without resorting to the potentially softer digital zoom.

The new 4x Telephoto is particularly useful as a middle ground between the standard camera and the long-range 8x option, while its larger sensor helps it capture more light and detail.

If that’s all Dutch to you, the upshot for casual photographers is brilliantly detailed, dynamic and balanced shots at various levels of zoom. This is a supremely talented camera system that’s a doddle for amateurs to use and an absolute beast in the hands of a professional.

The front-facing camera is an even more obvious upgrade for everyday users. It moves from 12MP to 18MP and, more importantly, introduces a new square sensor that gives you much greater flexibility over framing. You can tap to expand the field of view, switch between portrait and landscape framing without rotating the phone, and automatically widen the shot when other people join a selfie.

Centre Stage can also keep you centred during video calls, while Dual Capture lets you record from the front and rear cameras simultaneously – useful for vloggers, but also for anyone who wants to capture their own reaction alongside whatever they're filming. There's also ultra-stabilised 4K HDR video for smoother handheld footage.

Battery life has improved, too. Apple rates the 17 Pro for up to 31 hours of video playback, compared with 27 hours for the 16 Pro. A sufficiently powerful charger can also take the phone to 50 per cent in just 20 minutes.

Bluetooth has been upgraded from version 5.3 to Bluetooth 6. That doesn't bring any meaningful benefit right now, but Bluetooth 6’s improved efficiency, reliability and potential for lower-latency connections could make it more useful as compatible headphones and other devices catch up.

Picture quality

The iPhone 17 Pro doesn't reinvent Apple's approach to picture quality, and nor does it need to. The iPhone 16 Pro already produces one of the finest pictures we've seen from a phone, combining excellent detail and contrast with Apple's typically impressive commitment to colour accuracy and consistency.

The 17 Pro takes that formula and makes some subtle but worthwhile refinements.

Put the two phones side by side and the colour balance is remarkably similar. There is, however, a smidge more richness to the 17 Pro's presentation, which is particularly evident in skin tones.

Subtle variations have a little more depth and life, but there's no sense that Apple has achieved this by simply turning up the saturation. The overall balance remains remarkably natural, and that combination of richness and restraint is one of the things that is so appealing about the picture.

There's a similarly subtle improvement to black depth. The 17 Pro's blacks are just a little deeper and denser than those of the 16 Pro, and while the difference is small, it lends the whole image a little more solidity and lustre. It's not simply a case of dark areas having been made darker, either: shadow detail remains excellent.

The dark scenes of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey provide a good demonstration. As Bilbo, Fili and Kili track their missing ponies through the darkness, the 17 Pro delivers an excellent combination of insight and solidity, with fine details remaining visible while the deepest parts of the image look impressively dense.

The 16 Pro is also excellent here, but its slightly lighter blacks give the picture a little less depth, while the 17 Pro's richer colours and deeper contrast combine to create a more three-dimensional image.

The same characteristics repeat across everything we watch. The dimly lit opening of Conclave benefits from the 17 Pro's extra depth and richness without sacrificing any shadow detail. The brighter scenes of The Creator, meanwhile, absolutely pop, with the vivid greens of the terraced rice paddies contrasting beautifully with the blue of the police ships and the red of “the weapon's” jumpsuit.

In fact, we find ourselves repeatedly drawn towards the 17 Pro's picture when switching back and forth between the two phones. The differences aren't dramatic, but the newer model has a little more of that lusciousness that makes an image particularly enjoyable to watch.

In normal indoor lighting, there's little to separate the two phones in terms of outright brightness. Both produce wonderfully dynamic pictures with plenty of pop, and neither is crying out for more light. Move into really bright ambient conditions, though, and the 17 Pro's new display technology makes a much more obvious difference.

The new anti-reflective coating significantly reduces glare bouncing back at you from the screen, while the display can automatically unlock its additional outdoor brightness in very bright conditions. The combination makes the picture noticeably easier to see and enjoy when the environment would otherwise be fighting against it.

It's worth stressing that this isn't a matte screen in the manner of Samsung's latest flagship OLED TVs. Those displays are exceptionally resistant to reflections, but their matte finishes can also sap some of the depth and richness from black areas. Apple's approach is closer to the treatment used by LG's G6: reflections are reduced significantly without turning the glossy OLED surface into something visibly matte, so you retain those deep, lush blacks while gaining a useful degree of protection from glare.

Motion, meanwhile, remains very good, as we'd expect from the 120Hz ProMotion OLED. There is, however, still some judder inherent in 24fps movie content, and the sheer responsiveness of an OLED display can make this more obvious than it might be on an LCD screen. It’s far from a major problem, and certainly not unique to iPhones, but it would be nice if in future phones Apple could offer an option for some very gentle motion processing to smooth this out without introducing the artificial, soap-opera-like quality of aggressive interpolation.

Finally, we have to mention the Dynamic Island. In the default letterboxed presentation, it's essentially a non-issue for movie watching because the picture doesn't extend far enough up the display for the Island to overlap it. Zoom the content to fill the entire screen, though, and it's obviously there.

But what's remarkable is how quickly you stop seeing it. Once you're engrossed in a film, your brain seems to erase it from your awareness. We'd still love a phone with a genuinely uninterrupted screen for movie watching, but in practice, the Dynamic Island proves far less distracting than you might expect.

Ultimately, the iPhone 17 Pro doesn't deliver a night-and-day improvement over the 16 Pro. Instead, it takes an already exceptional picture and gives it a little more richness, depth and lustre, while making it more usable in the brightest viewing conditions.

A comparison with the standard iPhone 17 is also revealing. Despite the two phones having the same headline display specifications, the 17 Pro has a little more pop and vibrancy.

In F1: The Movie, for example, the fluorescent tubes lighting the laundromat are a brighter, purer white, while Brad Pitt's race suit is a touch crisper and more detailed in texture. Skin tones are also very slightly more naturally saturated.

The differences are small, but they give the Pro a marginally more dynamic and three-dimensional presentation.

Sound quality

As with the picture, the iPhone 17 Pro doesn't represent a radical change to Apple's already excellent approach to sound.

That said, the built-in speakers are a little fuller and richer than those of the 16 Pro, with more weight and a smoother, more rounded presentation. The difference is subtle, but the older model sounds just a touch thin and hard by comparison.

The standard iPhone 17's speakers are broadly similar, but the Pro has the edge here, too. The 17 sounds a touch more aggressive and less fluidly rounded, and it seems to lean more heavily on its bottom speakers, resulting in a slightly left-sided balance when watching in landscape. The 17 Pro sounds a little richer, smoother and more spatially consistent.

It's with Spatial Audio movies that the iPhone 17 Pro’s tiny speakers really impress. The opening sequence of F1: The Movie is reproduced with a surprisingly wide soundstage, with cars sweeping from deep on the right to far over on the left, while the commentary and fireworks have a reasonable sense of height.

Effects, music and dialogue are also given enough space to breathe that the busy soundtrack remains surprisingly clear. You're certainly not surrounded by sound in the way you would be with a proper home cinema system, but the scale and spatial precision are remarkable for a tiny device such as a phone.

Stereo music is less impressive through the speakers. While they produce a decent amount of bass for their size, depth remains paltry by absolute standards, and tracks sound much thinner than they should. It’s a more congested delivery, too, with Sleep Token's The Summoning, for example, losing much of its spaciousness and scale.

That's hardly surprising given the physical limitations, though, and the 17 Pro is still very capable by the admittedly rather low standards of smartphone speaker audio.

Connect a good pair of headphones, meanwhile, and we no longer need caveats. Using a pair of AirPods Max 2 via USB-C, the 17 Pro delivers superb clarity, rhythmic drive and tonal balance, with enough composure to make complex recordings genuinely engaging.

Tool's Invincible is reproduced with absolute confidence, the steady dynamic build of the percussion gathering momentum without losing its precision, while Maynard James Keenan's vocals remain focused without sacrificing their deliberately airy, ethereal quality.

The differences between the 17 Pro and 16 Pro are smaller through headphones than they are through the built-in speakers, but as we switch between the two with Rosalia's Divinize, the new model sounds just a little tighter, particularly in the fluttering bass notes of the chorus, which have terrific punch and control. Rosalia's vocals are a touch cleaner and smoother, too, especially when listening at high volumes.

The standard iPhone 17 gets unsurprisingly close through headphones, but the Pro still has a small advantage. Playing Architects' Animals, the 17 Pro sounds just a little fuller and smoother without sacrificing any of the track's punch or dynamics. It's an overall meatier, more mature delivery, though the difference is subtle.

Verdict

The iPhone 17 Pro is an outstanding portable movie and music player, with a superb screen, excellent sound and small but meaningful improvements over its predecessor.

The picture is the real star. It retains the beautiful balance and authenticity we’ve come to expect from Apple’s phones, but gains a little extra richness, depth and lustre. At the same time, the improved anti-reflection performance makes it considerably more practical in bright conditions.

Sound is similarly refined, with a small but worthwhile improvement to the built-in speakers and outstanding performance through headphones.

The key thing is that none of these improvements is transformative. If you already own an iPhone 16 Pro, there isn't a compelling AV reason to upgrade, particularly if you mostly watch indoors and listen through headphones.

For someone buying a new phone, though, the equation is different. The standard iPhone 17 gets surprisingly close, but the Pro has a small but discernible advantage for both picture and sound, as well as its much more capable camera system and greater processing headroom.

Admittedly, those advantages are small enough that the standard iPhone 17 remains the most sensible performance-per-pound option if you only care about movie and music performance, but if you also feel like you might take advantage of the more advanced camera system and/or processing power, the extra money for the Pro model becomes easier to justify.

Ultimately, the iPhone 17 Pro is probably the best phone we've tested for taking movies and music on the move. The (presumably) impending iPhone 18 Pro might push things on even further, but that won't change the fact that the 17 Pro is an exceptional AV machine – and one that could become even more tempting with end-of-life discounts.

SCORES

• Picture 5
• Sound 5
• Features 5

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The only certain things in life are death, taxes, and an annual iPhone event in September.

Sure enough, Apple has just announced an event for 9th September. I wonder what that could be about?

Actually, I’m doing Apple a disservice there, because this event, which has the tagline ‘Surprise And Shine’, is expected to be a little different to previous years.

That’s because rumours suggest that it won’t feature the ‘standard’ iPhone 18, which most in-the-know types currently think is set for a launch in spring next year.

Instead, the 9th September event is tipped to focus on the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and [drumroll] Apple’s first foldable phone.

As AV nerds, we are of course very excited to see the foldable iPhone, which rumours suggest could be called the iPhone Ultra.

If it can combine the awesomely cinematic picture tuning of Apple’s existing iPhones with a near-tablet-sized screen and a movie-friendly aspect ratio, it could well be the ultimate phone for movies on the move.

What about AirPods, HomePods and the Apple TV?

But what else might we see at the event? August has been chock-full of rumours about new Apple devices, including the AirPods 5 (one version with ANC, the other without), the controversial AirPods with camera, a new HomePod Mini and HomePod 3, and even the long-overdue Apple TV 4K replacement.

Will any of those appear on 9th September? Personally, I’m not convinced.

To me, it feels like the wrong time to launch the AirPods with a camera, given the current controversy around camera-enabled glasses. I can’t see Apple wading into those murky waters at this stage.

The AirPods 5 look very much ready to go, but they also look like a fairly iterative update to the AirPods 4, which would likely leave them a bit forgotten if they were announced at the same event as the fancy new Pro and Ultra iPhones.

The rumoured new HomePod and HomePod Mini, on the other hand, feel like announcements that are too big to risk being overshadowed by the foldable phone.

My guess is that the new AirPods and HomePods will be announced at a dedicated event in October, where we might also finally see the new Apple TV 4K, which could have some clever new synergy with the HomePods.

As ever with Apple, though, this is really just rumour-fuelled guesswork. Thankfully, we don't have long to wait to find out what's actually coming, as 9th September isn't far away.

Apple will be streaming the event live at Apple.com. Kick-off time is 6pm in the UK, 10am in the US (PT), and 3am on 10th September in Australia.

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There has been much talk recently about the rumoured upcoming release of AirPods with built-in cameras, but a new report from Bloomberg’s chief correspondent for Apple, Mark Gurman, suggests that the most imminent generation of AirPods might be a touch more familiar than anticipated.

According to Gurman’s report, Apple is preparing to launch the 5th generation of the standard AirPods next month. This will be an update on the current AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, which were released in 2024.

The AirPods 5 is set to consist of the same two models – one with ANC and one without.

The report suggests that the AirPods 5 could arrive in early September, coinciding with Apple’s annual iPhone launch event, which is predicted to see several new products including the iPhone 18 series, a new Apple Watch and the first folding iPhone Fold (or iPhone Ultra).

Apple expanded its standard non-Pro AirPods range in 2024 to include the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. These are the brand's most affordable wireless earbuds and don't come with eartips like the flagship Pro models do, and they were a marked improvement over the AirPods 3 and featured ANC in the 'open' design for the first time.

We awarded the AirPods 4 with ANC a four-star review for their “impressive ANC”, “powerful sound” and an “extensive feature set that borrows from the flagship model”, while criticising poor battery life, earbuds shape that still didn't fit everyone in our review team, and a sound that could do with “a greater dose of dynamic subtlety, solidity and punch".

Given the expected similarities between the upcoming release and the previous generation, we are hoping that Apple will have taken note of these areas and improve the standard AirPods even further.

Will they adopt more of the flagship AirPods Pro 3's features, will the prices for the AirPods 5 change or remain the same, or will Apple make any surprise overhauls of its popular earbuds? In such a competitive market as wireless earbuds, it will be interesting to see if Apple makes any substantial changes to stay ahead, or if the updates will be incremental between the generations. We shall find out soon enough, if the launch rumours are true.

What features or improvements would you like to see in the AirPods 5? Let us know in the comments.

MORE:

Read our Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation review

Also read our Apple AirPods Pro 3 review

Stay up to date with our pick of the best AirPods, tested by our expert reviewers

A new pair of Beats wireless headphones is on the way, according to a fresh leak.

The upcoming Beats 360 have been teased before in various formats. But the latest glimpse of the premium over-ears all but confirms the headphones are on the way.

The latest leak stemmed from MacRumours, which discovered a Beats codename in the macOS Tahoe 26.7 software update

This isn't the first time that the 360 have prematurely broken cover. Leaked product listings have already been discovered in the past few weeks, whereas multiple Reddit users found the headphones listed on major retailers, including Amazon, before they were subsequently removed.

The mooted cans have also shown up on US Federal Communications Commission documents, and were even given to various global football stars to wear during the World Cup.

Thanks to these continuing accidental (and not-so-accidental) reveals, we do know quite a bit about the upcoming wireless cans. No release date has been officially revealed yet, but now-redacted listings suggest the 360 are a more lifestyle-oriented pair of wireless headphones designed as much for workouts and leisure wear as for work and commuting.

MacRumours reveals further specifications from previously unearthed product listings, including personalised spatial audio, active noise cancelling, AI-powered voice calls, "all-day battery life" (no official figures have broken cover just yet) and easy integration with both Apple and Android devices.

What about price? This is still a decidedly premium pair of wireless headphones, with prices expected to hover around the $300 mark. That's a lot less than big-hitters such as the Sony WH-1000XM6 ($450) and AirPods Max 2 ($550), and a little more affordable than the Beats Studio Pro we reviewed at $350 way back in 2023.

Colour options include Pink, Black, Sky, and Cloud, with Volt (AKA yellow) and Navy potentially on the menu as well.

With so many recent leaks and so much information about the Beats 360 readily available online – not always released by accident – a proper launch seems imminent.

Will we see the Beats 360 arrive before the end of 2026? We wouldn't be surprised if they did. Apple's launch event is coming in September, which could be the perfect time to launch the 360 alongside the also-teased Apple HomePod Mini 2 and HomePod 3.

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Read our review of the Sony WH-1000XM6

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We're expecting to see a new Apple TV 4K in the coming weeks, and now comes word it should have a new Siri remote control.

Source code embedded in Apple's desktop operating system macOS 26.7 contains references to "ATVRemote1,5", which is thought to be a new Siri remote, MacRumors notes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has previously mentioned a new Siri remote.

So what could it do differently?

Unfortunately, the code offers no details. But with Siri AI rumoured to come as part of tvOS 27, it would make sense to offer a new and improved remote control for interacting with Apple's personal assistant.

Could we see a dedicated source button? A built-in speaker for Find My functionality? New ways to interact with Siri and its new AI powers?

The next Apple TV is rumoured to have a new processor (possibly the A18 Pro or A19 Pro), which would be an upgrade on the current model's A15 Bionic (the same as used in the iPhone 13 from 2021). A new processor would make the device run faster with more RAM, with improved ray-tracing and better graphics rendering for games.

It's also thought to have Apple's N1 chip which offers both Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth.

The current Apple TV 4K launched all the way back in 2022, so an upgrade is long overdue (just ask our senior staff writer Lewis Empson – see 1, 2, 3). The new model is expected to launch in either September (possibly alongside the iPhone 18 range) or October.

MORE:

Check out our full Apple TV 4K (2022) review

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Our six-year wait for a new HomePod Mini might finally be coming to an end.

According to multiple online sources, including MacRumours and 9to5mac, Apple has been working on a major overhaul of its Home lineup: one that will not only include entirely new product lines, but the return of some of its most popular smart speakers.

That includes, at long last, a sequel to 2020's five-star HomePod Mini.

According to MacRumors, the firm's newly released macOS 26.7 release candidate beta software includes codenames referencing a number of unreleased products. One of those codenames was 'B525', and as the current HomePod Mini has the code 'B520', this would imply a second-gen sequel to the five-star smart speaker.

We also have references to 'HomeAccessory17,2' and 'HomeAccessory17,3', but it isn't currently known what these might be. As they are listed as a pair, it seems unlikely that either one refers to the HomePod 3, so they could be anything from home security cameras to smart doorbells.

Don't despair, HomePod 2 fans. According to 9to5mac, Apple is set to unveil a whopping 10 products during its September launch event, with two of those new products including the HomePod Mini 2 and, thankfully, a sequel to the HomePod 2.

Evidence for the third-gen mainline HomePod does seem a little sketchier, but it would make sense for Apple to update both of its established smart speakers at the same time. Apple has already lifted the lid on its AirPods with a camera via a leaked video, so it does seem that major launches are to arrive next month.

Apple has reportedly been delaying potential unveilings until it has its new Siri and Apple Intelligence features working, so it would make sense that both HomePods are ready to go, pending those improvements to Apple's own AI systems.

We've speculated before that, aside from upgraded Apple Intelligence for improved Siri performance, we might potentially see improved microphones, enhanced audio, better codec support and even some new colourways if one or more HomePods are set to arrive in 2026.

Prices are yet to be leaked, but hope springs eternal that Apple doesn't hike the price of the Mini's original £99 / $99 / AU$149 RRP for the second-gen sequel.

As for a concrete release date, all eyes now turn to Apple's September showcase event, which is expected to happen on the 9th of September.

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Apple’s next AirPods have leaked in an official video from the tech giant itself. And they have a feature we have never seen in a pair of wireless earbuds before: a camera.

The AirPods with a camera have been rumoured for a while now. This leak suggests they will launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro at the Apple event rumoured for 9th September.

The camera enables a feature called Visual Intelligence, which is basically capturing images to store for later. The video shows a wearer holding up a book to remember for later. The Siri voiceover says:

“With Visual Intelligence, your world becomes savable. See something you like? Just ask me to save it for later.”

The video was found within the latest version of Apple’s desktop operating system, macOS Tahoe, that Apple has just released for public testing. It was spotted by 9to5Mac.

You can also see the new AirPods in question. They look very similar to the AirPods Pro 3, although the stems are slightly thicker.

You can’t see the cameras in the AirPods. But given Apple’s privacy-first focus, they would probably light up to alert anyone in the vicinity that they are being filmed or photographed.

There is no word on what – if any – sound improvements the new AirPods might bring, or whether they would simply be the standard AirPods Pro 3 with an added camera. But we shouldn’t have to wait long to find out.

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There are plenty of reasons you might want to connect your phone to your TV.

Perhaps you’re watching something on your handset and want to transfer it to the bigger screen in your living room; maybe you want a big display to show off the snaps from your latest holiday; or you might want to play some music via your TV.

Whatever you’re trying to achieve, there’s generally a way to do it. Allow us to show you how.

Cast video from your phone

If you want to watch a video from your phone on the big screen, casting is usually the easiest and best way to do it.

Rather than sending everything on your phone's screen to the TV, casting tells the TV to play the content itself, with your phone essentially acting like a remote control. That means you can usually carry on using your phone without interrupting playback, and in many cases you can even turn its screen off while the video continues playing.

Google's technology is now called Google Cast, although you might still see it referred to as Chromecast.

Google Cast is built into Chromecast devices, the Google TV Streamer and TVs running Google TV or Android TV. In the UK, that includes compatible TVs from brands such as Sony, Philips and TCL.

Other manufacturers have also added Google Cast to some models: newer LG TVs support it, for example, while compatible Panasonic Android TVs do, too.

But don't assume that every TV from a particular brand supports Google Cast: Samsung’s Tizen TVs, Hisense's VIDAA TVs and Panasonic's Fire TV models, for example, use different systems.

If your TV doesn't support Google Cast, don't worry: you may still be able to send content to it using AirPlay or the manufacturer's own casting/mirroring system.

How to cast a video

First, make sure your phone and TV are connected to the same wi-fi network. Then open the app containing the video you want to watch and look for the Cast icon – it's a little rectangle with three curved lines in the corner.

Tap it, select your TV from the list of available devices, and the video should start playing on the TV.

Once you're connected, your phone becomes a convenient remote control: you can pause, skip and adjust playback from the app, while the TV does the actual streaming.

The catch is that the app needs to support casting. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, YouTube, BBC iPlayer and many other popular streaming services do, but you won't necessarily find a Cast button in every app.

If there isn't one, you might be able to use screen mirroring instead, but some apps restrict this, too. Sky Go, for example, doesn't support casting of any kind, so you can't simply send its live football or other content from your phone to a Cast-equipped TV.

What about iPhone?

iPhone users can also use Google Cast with compatible apps and TVs, but Apple's own AirPlay system is also an option if you have an AirPlay-compatible TV or an Apple TV 4K streamer.

The principle is much the same: start playing a video, tap the AirPlay button (a rectangle with a triangle pointing into it) and select your TV. Your iPhone and TV generally need to be on the same wi-fi network.

So, as a rule of thumb: if the app has a Cast or AirPlay button, use it. It's generally a better option for watching video on your TV than mirroring your entire phone screen.

Mirror your phone screen

If the app you want to use doesn't support casting, or you simply want to show something that's on your phone rather than stream a particular video, screen mirroring is the next option.

As the name suggests, mirroring shows what's happening on your phone's screen on your TV. Open a website, look through your photos or start an app on your phone, and you'll see the same thing on the big screen. It's particularly useful for things that don't have a dedicated TV app or don't offer a Cast button.

The exact method depends on your phone and TV. iPhone uses Apple's AirPlay system, while Android phones can use different systems depending on the manufacturer. Samsung calls its version Smart View, for example, while LG uses Screen Share on compatible models.

How to mirror your phone

On an iPhone, make sure your phone and TV are connected to the same wi-fi network, then open Control Centre, tap Screen Mirroring (the icon with two rectangles, one in front of the other) and select your AirPlay-compatible TV or Apple TV 4K. If a passcode appears on the TV, enter it on your phone.

On Android, look for a screen-mirroring option in your phone's quick settings. The name varies: Samsung phones use Smart View, while other manufacturers may call it Screen Share, Cast, Wireless Display or something similar. Select your TV from the list of available devices and accept the connection on the TV if prompted.

You'll generally need the phone and TV to be connected to the same wi-fi network, although the exact requirements vary between devices.

Mirroring generally isn't the best option for video

There's a reason we recommend casting where possible. With mirroring, everything on your phone is replicated on the TV, so a notification, incoming call or change of app can appear on the big screen.

And some streaming services restrict mirroring of protected video content, so don't assume that an app without a Cast button will necessarily work when mirrored.

For watching Netflix, YouTube, iPlayer and other supported services, casting or using the app directly on your TV is generally the better solution. Use mirroring when you want to show something that's actually on your phone, such as your photos or a presentation.

Play music through your TV

If you're listening to music, you're generally better off sending it directly to a wireless speaker, soundbar or AV system than using your TV. But there can be good reasons to put your music on the big screen, particularly when you're listening with other people.

The simplest option is to use your music service's TV app, if it has one.

Spotify, for example, has apps for many smart TVs, and you can use Spotify Connect on your phone to control what's playing. The TV can then display album artwork, track information and the playback queue, while everyone can see what's playing and take part in choosing the music.

But you don't necessarily need a TV app. Services including Spotify, Tidal and Qobuz can send music from their phone apps to compatible TVs using Google Cast, while AirPlay provides a similar option for iPhone users with a compatible TV.

So if your TV doesn't have a native app for the music service you use, check whether its phone app supports Google Cast or AirPlay before assuming you're out of luck. You may still be able to get your music onto the big screen.

Connect your phone with a cable

If a wireless connection isn’t an option, you can always connect your phone to your TV with a cable.

It's not as convenient as casting or mirroring, but a wired connection can be useful if you want a direct connection between your phone and TV, particularly if low latency is important – for example, when playing games.

Most modern phones use USB-C, so you'll generally need a USB-C-to-HDMI adaptor or cable, with the HDMI end connected to an HDMI input on your TV. Older iPhones with a Lightning connector require a suitable Lightning-to-HDMI adaptor instead.

Just bear in mind that not every USB-C phone supports video output, so check your phone's specifications before buying an adaptor.

Once connected, your phone will usually mirror its display on the TV, although the exact behaviour depends on the phone and adaptor.

And while a cable removes some of the potential complications of a wireless connection, it doesn't necessarily get around content restrictions: some streaming services can still block video output, or require the adaptor and TV to support the appropriate copy-protection standards (which they often don’t).

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In many ways, software updates are a blessing of modern technology.

They can add features, fix bugs and even improve the performance of a product that's weeks, months or even years old. At their best, they can breathe new life into a device that you've owned for ages.

But they can also go wrong.

It's why many TV owners, particularly those who've been stung by unwanted changes or problems after previous updates, have long promoted a 'turn off automatic updates' mantra.

I wish I had listened.

My philosophy has always been that software updates do far more good than harm, and that the frequency with which they create problems is overblown. Honestly, that's probably still the case. But now that I've been stung by a dodgy update myself, I'm feeling far less philosophical about the whole thing.

For the last few weeks, I've been experiencing audio dropouts from my Sony system. After hours of research and experimentation with different settings and cables, I've finally established that the blame lies with the most recent update to my Bravia 8 II OLED TV.

The problem is frustratingly specific. When I'm watching something through an external source connected to the TV, such as my Apple TV 4K or Sky Stream puck, I can no longer use my external sound system without suffering audio dropouts.

The TV's internal apps work perfectly, but that has only reminded me how much higher the quality is from the Apple TV 4K than from Google TV.

Sony is aware of the issue, and my contacts assure me that a fix is in the works. There's no date for it yet, though, and it's already been almost two months since the problematic software was released.

That's a long time to have a significant part of an expensive home cinema system effectively out of action.

And this is where I've changed my mind about automatic updates.

I've now turned them off on my TV and several of my other devices. From now on, when one tells me that a software update is available, unless it's flagged as a critical security update, I'm going to wait a week or so before installing it.

I'll then search for the release number online, see whether other owners have reported problems, and only if all looks safe will I then download and apply it manually.

I'm not saying that software updates are bad. They're not. I've benefited from plenty of them over the years, and I'd still much rather have a TV that receives regular updates than one that's abandoned by its manufacturer.

But there's very little downside to waiting a few days before installing one. If an update is working perfectly for everyone else, I'll happily install it. If it turns out to be causing problems, I'll be very glad that I wasn't one of the first to find out.

So I'm now firmly in the 'turn automatic updates off' camp. Not because I'm suddenly convinced that every software update is a ticking time bomb, but because I've learned the hard way that there's no need to be an early adopter of firmware.

A few days of caution could save you weeks of frustration.

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The next Apple TV 4K and HomePod Mini could launch in just a couple of months. Both devices could land as soon as the autumn, according to reliable source Mark Gurman at Bloomberg.

Both current devices are getting on a bit now – the Apple TV 4K launched in 2022, while the HomePod Mini made its debut all the way back in 2020.

While the rumour says we won’t get any design changes, the chips inside each will be upgraded. The Apple TV 4K runs on the A15 Bionic (the same processor as the iPhone 13), while the HomePod Mini runs an S5 (also found in the Apple Watch Series 5).

Newer processors should speed up both devices, as well as adding more features and capabilities.

The report also mentions Apple’s new smart home hub, which should launch between October and the start of next year. There are apparently two models in development, one with a screen attached to a half-dome base, the other which is fixed to a wall with magnets.

It could well be the HomePod with a screen that was rumoured years ago.

Facial recognition is said to be a key feature. The device will recognise who’s looking at it, unlock personal content for them (their own personal calendar, for example) and alter the font size and type of information in real time.

We’ve been hankering after a new Apple TV 4K for years now. Top of our wish list? More processing power. Let’s hope our prayers are answered this autumn.

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When you have a home cinema speaker package that is centred around some five-star stereo standmounts, it makes sense to make as much use of them as possible.

That is why, for this premium cinema set-up, we have married the KEF Q Concerto Meta speaker package with Arcam’s AVR5 AV amplifier.

The system

• Projector: Epson EH-LS9000 (£2999 / $3999 / AU$7299)
• Blu-ray player: Panasonic DP-UB820 (£349 / $550 / AU$849)
• Streaming box: Apple TV 4K (£199 / $150 / AU$299)
• AV amplifier: Arcam AVR5 (£1499 / $1999 / AU$3995)
• Speaker system: KEF Q Concerto Meta 5.1 (£2549 / $4050 / AU$5650)
• Total system price: £7595 / $10,748 / AU$18,092

The AV receiver

Arcam puts sound performance as the main selling point of all its amplifiers, not merely bunging as many features into the box as possible to appeal to its buyer. More features means the potential for more issues with sound, and that is not an acceptable compromise for the brand.

That single-minded insistence on sonic ability is also why the Arcam will power only seven channels of amplification. It will process up to 12 channels of Dolby Atmos, but you’ll need to add external amplification to drive those extra channels, should you want to do so.

What it will do here, though, is provide a brilliant 5.1 experience – and should you want to take advantage of those Dolby Atmos capabilities (which we would urge you to consider) you can invest in a pair of KEF’s Q8 Meta Atmos toppers. Then you would be using the Arcam amp to drive a 5.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos system, without the need for extra external amplification.

Importantly, you would also have an impressively musical two-channel option as well, removing the need for a separate stereo set-up. If space is at a premium, this is a neat solution that should suit most people really well.

A glimpse at the images at the top of this page reveals that this is a substantial set-up, though. And more than seven grand is quite the outlay, of course. But consider that this is a system that can cover both stereo and home cinema – and perform both with aplomb – and things don’t seem quite so eye-watering.

It is, however, a set-up that requires a dedicated space. This is serious home cinema, after all, so a permanently plumbed-in projector and screen, and a room that can be made dark, should be your first aim.

Assuming you have the appropriate space to accommodate it though, this set-up is simply stunning value for money.

The nimble, surefooted Arcam can handle movie scores and sound effects with impressive ability. This really is an impeccable musical performance, and it’s one that can go really very loud without seeming to feel the strain.

The speaker package

An impeccable musical performance can apply equally as well to the KEF speaker package, of course – no great surprise with the five-star stereo abilities of the Q Concerto Meta standmounts that perform the front left and right channel duties.

It’s not all about that pairing, though. The KEF Kube subwoofer holds its own, with a powerful and dynamic low-end kick, and the Q1 Meta surrounds, despite being smaller than their front-channel siblings, certainly don’t let up on a movie as far as sonic scale goes.

No, this package puts in a truly impressive surround-sound display, putting us squarely in the centre of any movie action, while also revealing the subtle abilities of its centre channel by making dialogue pin-sharp and clear.

The projector

While the sound is a massive part of any home cinema experience, it would all be for naught, of course, without a brilliant 4K picture to do it justice.

Which is where the projector comes in. A Best Buy in the What Hi-Fi? 2025 Awards, the Epson EH-LS9000 is, for us, the top performer in its category.

It may not have a native 4K resolution, rather getting to its 4K image via pixel-shifting, but that technology, far from being the red flag it might once have been, has proved time and time again to be capable of producing brilliantly sharp and detailed picture quality. And so it proves here.

The Vivid preset (perhaps surprisingly – certainly unusually) is the setting that, for us, makes the most of the LS9000’s specification and processing. It produces a picture with quite exceptional vibrancy and three-dimensionality without making things look forced or veering drastically away from cinematic intent.

As we say in our review: “Playing Thunderbolts on 4K Blu-ray… we’re instantly struck by the sharpness and detail of the image. There’s an awesome solidity and depth to the picture, which is particularly impressive at the 100-inch scale of our screen, and you almost feel as if you could reach into the image and poke the little figures in the distance.

“Colours are both vivid and natural, and the shading is excellent: the sky over the desert fills the top third of the image and blends beautifully from very light blue on one side to a deeper, more vibrant blue on the other.”

The Blu-ray player

Talking of blue, we would urge you to invest in physical media for a home cinema of this quality. There are fewer and fewer 4K Blu-ray players available to buy these days, with the prevalence of video streaming, but there is no doubt, in our eyes, that the format is the best way to get a top-notch 4K image.

The Panasonic DP-UB820 is our current Award winner, and has been claiming What Hi-Fi? Awards since 2019.

And, as we say in our review verdict, “If you’ve bought into the 4K Blu-ray format and have a suitable home cinema set-up, you need a dedicated player that can deliver on multiple fronts. The Panasonic DP-UB820 is just that, supporting all major HDR formats, delivering a hugely immersive and impactful picture, backed up by a strong audio performance.”

The streamer

While a Blu-ray disc is perfect for those full-on movie nights, we are not obsessive or unrealistic enough to say that everything we watch should be via that somewhat restrictive medium.

Video streaming has come on leaps and bounds over the past decade and more – and the quality of the 4K images on offer is now extremely impressive. The very best option, though, for a home cinema such as this is undoubtedly Apple’s brilliant TV 4K.

Suffice to say that its predecessor romped away with Awards aplenty, and this superb little box is better than it in every department. For us, this is a no-brainer.

Apple has officially launched the public beta programme for its 2026 software releases, which includes early access to tvOS 27.

The forthcoming update introduces a bevvy of new features and performance upgrades, including Hi-Res Lossless playback in Apple Music, a redesigned Podcasts app, a more responsive Control Centre, and faster wireless connections to other Apple devices (including HomePods for TV audio) via AirPlay.

However, the biggest upgrade relates to the day-to-day performance of the nearly four-year-old streaming box. Apple says app loading times will be reduced by 30 per cent, and animations should feel smoother too. This means that the whole tvOS interface should feel slicker and more responsive.

This update comes in the wake of a price increase, which means the current-generation Apple TV 4K now starts at £199 / $199 / AU$299, or if you want 128GB of storage and an Ethernet socket, then you can expect to pay £249 / $249 / AU$399.

While the tvOS 27 update isn't expected to launch to all users until September, members of the Apple Beta Software Programme can enrol their Apple TV 4K and install the update via the Settings app, under the System tab.

If you're not in the beta programme, you can sign up here for free, and Apple lets anyone trial its software and provide feedback via the Feedback Assistant app.

Be warned, this software is still in beta, and while Apple's pre-release software is generally stable and safe to use, we'd recommend exercising some caution.

If you happen to have a spare Apple TV 4K lying around, then we'd suggest installing it on that rather than loading it onto your main device, as bugs and glitches can cause issues.

MORE:

Read our full Apple TV 4K review

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As well as the best streaming services for movies and TV shows

After more than five years of daily use, my AirPods Max recently stopped working.

I can't really complain. Between commuting, international travel and a house move, they'd spent years being stuffed into backpacks and suitcases before emerging to soundtrack thousands of hours of music and movies. They'd had a pretty hard life.

Rather than rushing to repair them, though, I saw an opportunity.

In the five years since I'd bought the AirPods Max, loads of exciting new headphones had launched. This felt like the perfect excuse to break away from Apple's ecosystem and find out whether anything could finally replace them.

Over the next couple of months, I spent time with headphones from Sony, Bose, Sennheiser and Bowers & Wilkins. Their relative strengths varied, but all of them sounded very accomplished with music. In the case of Sony's superb WH-1000XM6, I'd even argue the overall musical performance is better than that of the AirPods Max.

But this period of headphone flirtation had a surprising effect: my movie-watching almost ground to a halt.

For years now, I've used my AirPods Max at least as much for movies as for music. In fact, they've quietly become an essential part of my home cinema setup.

Once the rest of my family had gone to bed and it was no longer neighbourly to keep my Dolby Atmos system rumbling away, I had a simple routine. Rather than switching on Night mode and flattening every explosion, gunshot and orchestral swell, I'd put on my AirPods Max, tap the pop-up on my Apple TV 4K and carry on watching exactly where I'd left off.

The combination of the AirPods Max and Apple TV 4K remains astonishingly good. Their Dolby Atmos implementation, delivered through Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, creates an experience that's surprisingly easy to forget is coming from a pair of headphones. It doesn't simply sound spacious; it sounds uncannily natural.

And that's the bit I hadn't appreciated until the AirPods Max disappeared from my life. Every alternative I tried excelled with music, but none recreated that movie experience.

The closest I came was pairing Sony's WH-1000XM6 with the Bravia 8 II TV. It produced an impressively open and fairly cinematic presentation, but because the connection relied on standard Bluetooth, what I was hearing was ultimately a cleverly processed stereo signal rather than the sort of binaural Dolby Atmos experience that Apple's solution provides.

The difference wasn't night and day, but it was enough that I found myself missing the AirPods Max every time I settled down to watch a film, and that had a surprisingly big impact on my viewing habits.

If the family was asleep, I simply wasn't getting the experience I wanted. I wasn't about to hobble my main home cinema system with Night mode, but neither were the alternative headphones convincing enough to tempt me away from it.

Whether it's children, a partner or simply considerate neighbours, I suspect lots of people end up watching films after the house has gone quiet, and losing that window meant the number of films I watched absolutely tanked over the following weeks. I missed loads.

The good news is that I'm now making up for lost time, because I've managed to get hold of another pair of AirPods Max.

The whole experience taught me something I wasn't expecting, though: I'd quietly built my entire late-night movie-watching routine around one Apple feature.

That's not to say Apple has the only solution. Sony, for example, offers the little-known WLA-NS7 wireless transmitter, which promises a similar binaural Dolby Atmos experience with compatible headphones. I'll be testing that very soon.

But until something else can recreate what the AirPods Max and Apple TV 4K achieve together, they'll remain my favourite headphones for movies – even if some rivals have at least matched them when it comes to music.

MORE:

Here are the best wireless headphones you can buy right now

Check out our Apple AirPods Max review

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding digital film and TV downloads lately, so it's nice to finally hear some good news.

While Sony announced that it's ditching physical PlayStation discs and removing purchased content from users' libraries, Apple has taken a major step to improve the content within its users' Apple TV digital libraries.

A selection of around 50 TV shows has been quietly upgraded from HD to 4K, and that change is being retroactively applied for users who have already purchased these shows, at no additional cost.

The selection includes some high-profile releases, such as all seven seasons of Mad Men, the first season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and recent TV phenomenon Heated Rivalry. You can find the full list below:

• Aerial Australia
• Aftertaste (Season 1)
• American Magik (Season 1)
• Auto Exotica (Season 2)
• The Basement Talks (Season 1)
• Black, Brilliant, and Bold (Season 1)
• Blossoms Shanghai (Season 1)
• Bong Zombies (Season 1)
• Building Nations (Season 1)
• Car & Country Quest (Season 1)
• Changing of the Gods (Season 1)
• Chasing the Tide (Season 1)
• Claire-ity (Season 1)
• Clash of Dynasties: St. Edward vs Walsh Jesuit
• The Coroner's Assistant (Season 1)
• Drink: A Look Inside the Glass (Season 1)
• The Envoy, Pilot
• The Eternal White (Season 1)
• Extreme Airport Africa (Season 2)
• Founder (Season 1)
• Gatherings (Season 1)
• Gentle and Lowly Video Study (Season 1)
• Guerrera (Season 1)
• Gus Plus Us (Season 1)
• Heated Rivalry (Season 1)
• Honor Guard (Season 1)
• Hunting to Save the Rhinos (Season 1)
• The Hunting Wives (Season 1)
• Ice Airport Alaska (Season 5)
• Killer Whales (Season 2)
• Legacy Makers (Season 1)
• Mad Men (Seasons 1–7)
• Missionary: Obeying the Great Commission (Season 1)
• My Name is Anxiety (Season 1)
• Office Joe (Season 1)
• Perfect Sweat (Season 1)
• Q: Into the Storm
• The Religion Business and the Nonprofit Goliath (Season 1)
• Rich Africans (Season 1)
• RuPaul's Drag Race UK (Season 5)
• The RVers (Seasons 3 and 4)
• Selling Superman (Season 1)
• Sexpectations (Season 1)
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Season 1)
• That’s Wine (Season 1)
• Third Shift
• Tractor Ted (Season 3)
• The Twilight Zone (Reboot) (Season 1)
• The Wingfeather Saga (Season 2)

This upgrade was spotted by X (formerly Twitter) user Sigmund Judge (via FlatpanelsHD), and users in the UK and US who have purchased these TV shows from the Apple TV Store (formerly the iTunes Movies & TV Shows store) should already be able to access the upgraded 4K versions from within their Apple TV library.

It's worth noting that Apple has a track record of providing free 4K upgrades to its Apple TV users. It began upgrading purchased movies from HD to 4K HDR alongside the launch of the Apple TV 4K back in 2017, and we've since seen free Dolby Atmos, HDR10+ and 3D 4K upgrades hit users' Apple TV libraries too.

This is how you win digital media sceptics over, and other companies should certainly take note.

MORE:

Read our full Apple TV 4K (2022) review

Here are our picks for the best streaming services for movies and TV shows

As well as the best streaming devices

We've already looked at the impact that Apple, especially the iPod, had on the audio world over the past 50 years, ushering in portable music listening and speaker docks that eventually led to the wireless/Bluetooth speakers of today.

But when looking back at the history of hi-fi – especially as we're celebrating 50 years of What Hi-Fi? this year – it's usually the 'glory' days of hi-fi, i.e. the '70s and '80s, that we pore over, ogling vintage turntables, the first few CD players, affordable speakers and hefty stereo amplifiers.

What we don't do often enough is to look at the more recent history of the 2000s; it may feel recent, but there is so much technology peppered through the mid-00s that just doesn't exist anymore.

Case in point: iPod docks. It's easy to forget just how rife the things were after the introduction of the Apple iPod. iPod speaker docks and systems came in a variety of shapes and styles, from cheap and cheerful to premium and approaching hi-fi quality. There was something about that post-Y2K era, in the dawn of a new millennium, that allowed audio brands to experiment and be creative with their speaker dock designs.

You had simple, discreet (all Apple-white, of course) models rubbing shoulders with beefy one-box speakers that experimented with all kinds of curves and unique silhouettes, while a surprisingly tall iPod dock speaker existed alongside a valve-based system.

The iPod dock is now extinct, and the original 30-pin connector with it, but it paved the way for the modern Bluetooth/wireless speakers that we use to stream music from our smartphone every day. Here, we've paid tribute to the five iPod speaker docks that stood out to us in that short-lived but exciting era.

1. Bose SoundDock (2004)

£249
4 stars

The original Bose SoundDock was one of the very first speaker systems dedicated to the iPod. Launched in 2004, it catered to all varieties of the iPod with the 30-pin connector in a compact unit, with a credit card-sized remote letting you control playback and volume. It was a slick system. The cons against it were the slightly loose cradle fit, and no aux-in for non-iPod MP3 players.

We praised its impressive musical credentials, calling it "terrific" thanks to its solid, full-bodied sound, with clear, natural vocal delivery. It had none of the thinness blighting poorer-quality rivals; a lively, punchy rhythm, good bass and detail levels completed the set.

This being the 2000s, we did call the white-and-grey, SoundDock "ultra-stylish" and it was the "most sophisticated" iPod dock around.

That was, until...

2. Monitor Audio i-deck (2005)

£250
5 stars

Monitor Audio launched the i-deck in 2005 and swiftly nabbed five stars and a Product of the Year win at that year's What Hi-Fi? Awards. It was the first iPod speaker dock system that truly impressed us in terms of sound quality. We said "it gives you the looks, flexibility and sound quality of a good hi-fi micro system" and praised its "tremendous" sound quality that went loud with composure and offered a healthy-size soundstage.

"Tunes race along with infectious energy and plenty of enjoyment," we said as the i-deck won yet another group test. A drop by £50 in 2006 further cemented its status as a great sound-per-pound value buy, even as new models from Altec Lansing, Jamo and Apple's own iPod Hi-Fi tried to get in on the action.

The i-deck featured swappable bezels to fit the different styles of iPods around at the time, and even came with a 3.5mm mini-jack input to plug in other MP3 players. It's not the most compact system as it involves three boxes, but the beauty is that you can upgrade those speakers for a better pair too.

We also have to give props to Monitor Audio for making one of the most eye-catching designs – the 'tulip' shaped i-deck 100 from 2011 (£200, 5 stars) – which looks more sci-fi than its earlier efforts.

3. JBL OnBeat Xtreme (2012)

£400
5 stars

JBL is ubiquitous with the best Bluetooth speakers these days, so it should be no surprise that the brand had a whole range of iPod dock speakers. In fact, in November 2012, JBL was the very first brand to launch iPod docks with the new Lightning connector – the OnBeat Micro and Venue LT – when Apple ditched its long-lived 30-pin connection.

Before then, the JBL OnBeat Xtreme snagged the best iPod speaker dock Award in 2012. The OnBeat Xtreme could play music from your portable player in two ways: docking it, or be wirelessly streaming over Bluetooth. It brought non-Apple players into the fold, expanding its versatility and becoming a viable replacement for ageing hi-fi microsystems.

The 'crossed-arms' design was eye-catching, with a solid, appealing build quality for the relatively high price. It sounded great – a fun presentation, ample low-frequency heft (impressive, given the relatively small drivers), and plenty of detail in the clear highs and sweet midrange.

There’s certainly no shortage of low-frequency heft here – impressive, given the OnBeat’s relatively small drivers. Instruments get plenty of breathing space and dynamically it's plenty enjoyable. It can go loud enough to be at neighbour-baiting levels, although the midrange could harden up at this point.

The OnBeat Xtreme was so good it not only was the What Hi-Fi? team's office speaker in the old Teddington office for a good few years, but it also beat a legendary icon...

4. Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin (2007)

£400
5 stars

This is the big one. If it wasn't for the iPod, we wouldn't have the now-iconic blimp-shaped Zeppelin speaker dock. When we first reviewed it in the February 2008 issue, it didn't appear in our usual "First Tests" section at the start of the magazine – it appeared in our dedicated "Temptation" section that was reserved for pricier, "most desirable" high-end models.

That's how much of a novelty the premium, luxuriously built Zeppelin was in comparison to the other humdrum iPod docks of the day. It gave permission for other brands to aim higher – the JBL OnBeat Xtreme (above) and NAD Viso 1 both launched at £500 after the B&W.

The distinctive curved, elongated shape isn't just for style points; it helps minimise the cabinet around each driver unit, which improves dispersion. The drivers underneath were ones used by B&W loudspeakers: a 13cm Kevlar bass driver powered by a 50W digital amp is flanked on either side by 9cm midrange drivers and 25mm metal dome tweeters, each powered by 25W amps.

The resultant sound exceeded all our expectations. "You'll be amazed at the Zeppelin's pace, scale, weight, rhythmic ability and timing," we enthused in our five-star review. Its sense of attack and energy was "thrilling", with our only complaint being that it didn't image as well as rivals with widely spaced speakers.

It was also a tactile joy to use, and its combination of style, build quality and sound left us "smitten".

The Zeppelin gave birth the smaller, less expensive Zeppelin Mini a couple of years later, while you can buy a fully hi-res wireless version of the Zeppelin Pro Edition these days.

5. Fatman iTube Carbon v2.0 (2008)

£350
5 stars

If you don't remember Fatman Audio, you're not alone. The brand specialised in combining iPod docks with valve-based systems, and rather successfully, too. The year after the Zeppelin launched to rave reviews, the Fatman iTube Carbon v2.0 got put in a Group Test with the iconic speaker dock in the September 2008 issue... and won.

The iTube Carbon was far from a discreet-looking iPod dock. "Alongside the Zeppelin's sleek, Manhattan-skyscraper aesthetics it does look like a bit of a shanty town," we said, and not everyone was enamoured of a multi-box system that required separate speakers. You could buy the system sans speakers for £100 and provide your own pair, though.

Despite the inelegance, the Fatman was praised for being the best-sounding iPod speaker dock – it had an "endlessly listenable sound". The warm, eloquent valve characteristics gave songs like Steely Dan's Any Major Dude Will Tell You low-end weight and substance, while percussion and vocals were polished and bright enough. The Carbon "integrates and separates the differing elements confidently" and "excels when it comes to stereo focus and imaging" – the benefit of having separate speakers.

The first iteration of this unit was marred by build and reliability issues, even as we praised the the rich musical insight and "stunning" sound for this price; this v2.0 model addressed our concerns and smartened up the cosmetics considerably, and featured a 3.5mm socket alongside RCA stereo inputs.

Versatile, great-sounding and a unique valve-dock design – the Fatman may not be as fondly remembered as more famous iPod docks, but its spark burned bright at the height of the iPod dock's popularity.

Apple's stronghold over the audio world with the iPod and its 30-pin connector faded when it switched to the smaller Lightning connector. Adoption for the new connector was slow, as having to completely re-haul current audio products proved a pain for many brands.

The introduction of wireless AirPlay and rising popularity of Bluetooth around the same time carved a path towards today's wireless speakers that ditch the dock and feature streaming via Bluetooth, AirPlay, Google Cast and more – proving you don't have to be dependent on the whims of one (giant) tech brand.

But if it were not for the iPod, we wouldn't have such daring, creative, fun and, yes, silly designs that were affordable, compact, and made music available for all.

Below, you'll find a gallery of the variety of iPod docks and speaker systems we tested in the 2000s/2010s, straight from the pages of our What Hi-Fi? magazine archive. You can click on the arrow sign in the bottom-left corner to read the full-size text on each image.

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Engineers from KEF, Cambridge, Cyrus and more highlight the biggest technological game-changers in hi-fi during What Hi-Fi?'s lifetime

Why the time is right for a new Sony Walkman

Remember when tech used to get cheaper throughout its life span? Those were the glory days; but that all seems to be in the past now.

Apple is the latest company to hop on the trend of upping prices on its older products. It has just rolled out a fairly egregious swathe of updated pricing on its hi-fi and home cinema offerings; we think it’s fair to say that this is really not good news.

The Apple TV 4K now starts at £199 / $199 / AU$299 (originally £149 / $130 / AU$219) for the 64GB version, or £249 / $249 / AU$399 (originally £169 / $179 / $249) for the 128GB with ethernet. And this, we remind you, is the 2022 version, so it has been on the market for almost four years now.

The HomePod range hasn’t got off lightly either. The HomePod 2 now costs £349 / $349 / AU$549 – up from £299 / $299 / AU$479 – while the HomePod Mini (which launched in 2020 and hasn’t really been updated since) is now £129 / $129 / AU$199, up from £99 / $99 / AU$149.

There are price hikes across Apple’s iPad and Mac devices too.

The only products that appear to be mostly untouched are the iPhones and AirPods ranges; in fact, it looks like the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC have dropped by £10 for both models.

If you had been holding out in the hope of new models launching – rumours of a new Apple TV 4K and HomePod with a display have been circulating for years – you might be better off pulling the trigger and snapping up the current-gen models from the retailers that haven't yet caught on to the price increases.

We have rounded up the retailers from the UK, US and Australia that are still selling these products for their original prices at the time of writing.

There’s no guarantee that these original prices will stick around, or if they will be updated in the next couple of hours.

Apple TV 4K (2022)

Apple HomePod 2

Apple HomePod Mini

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As well as the best streaming devices

I’m obsessed with broadcast delays (no, I’m not much fun at parties).

It all stems from Euro 2020, when my insistence on watching every match in 4K via BBC iPlayer resulted in several goals being spoiled by cheers from my neighbours and the revellers at a pub down the road.

Since then, I've prioritised low latency over outright picture quality when choosing how to watch major sporting events.

But I'd never actually tested the accepted wisdom around broadcast delays. So, with Sky launching its new Real Time feature for Sky Glass and Sky Stream, I decided it was time to find out which viewing method is actually fastest.

So, there I was, on a sweaty Thursday evening, setting up a second TV in my living room so that I could compare different broadcast options during the Czechia v South Africa match.

I needed to remove as many variables as possible, of course, so my two TVs needed to be identical. I therefore borrowed a 65-inch Sony Bravia 8 II OLED to match the one currently in situ in my lounge.

After ensuring that both TVs were running the same software and had the same picture settings, I plugged my now rarely used aerial into the ‘new’ TV (the one on the right in all of the photos sprinkled throughout this piece) and set about comparing that with the alternatives at my disposal.

This is what I discovered.

Freeview (aerial) vs BBC iPlayer

Before I get started, it’s worth noting that everything is delayed.

It simply takes time for anything that's filmed live to make it through all of the broadcast equipment, be encoded and transmitted, travel to and from satellites in space or through underground fibre-optic cables, and finally be decoded and displayed by your TV.

It’s commonly accepted, though, that watching the signals received by your aerial via a Freeview tuner is the least delayed option available. The BBC itself says that it takes 7-8 seconds for something happening live to reach your TV via this method.

So, how much slower was iPlayer than the TV playing Freeview? A hefty 23 seconds. That’s plenty of time for a goal to be spoiled by cheers from the neighbours.

Interestingly, I found no meaningful difference between BBC iPlayer's HD and UHD streams. If you're watching via iPlayer anyway, choosing the 4K feed doesn't appear to add any extra delay.

I also tested the iPlayer app on several devices – the Bravia 8 II itself, a Sky Stream box, and an Apple TV 4K – and the result was always 23 seconds, there or thereabouts.

It’s worth remembering that BBC iPlayer is the only way to watch the World Cup in 4K, and the feeds look terrific, but when immediacy matters, such as when England are playing, foregoing pixels for promptness is the sensible way to go.

Sky Stream/Glass

Time for Sky Stream, and the good news is that this was indeed quicker than BBC iPlayer. The bad news? It was still around 18 seconds behind Freeview.

That’s better, of course, but still more than enough time for a goal to be spoiled.

But, as I mentioned earlier, Sky has a special feature up its sleeve for dealing with this…

Sky Real Time

That feature is Real Time, which is designed to massively reduce the amount of lag experienced during big sporting events.

Sky has rolled Real Time out just in time for the World Cup, and it’s available on the BBC HD, ITV1 HD and ITV4 HD.

It’s worth noting that it’s not turned on by default. Once you tune in to one of the channels mentioned above during a World Cup match, you then need to click the ‘Real Time’ button that appears on the screen. Do that, and you’ll be switched to a special ‘RT’ version of the channel.

So, how much faster is Real Time? A whopping 13 seconds faster than standard Sky Stream, which makes it just five seconds slower than the Freeview tuner.

That’s close enough, I think, to rarely be an issue.

Conclusions, caveats and Sky Q

You’ve probably spotted that there’s a significant absentee from my testing, Sky Q, and there’s an easy explanation for that – I no longer have a satellite dish.

However, Sky has previously told me that Real Time brings Sky Stream/Glass to within three seconds of Sky Q, and the results of my testing certainly suggest that's plausible.

It’s also worth noting that there are plenty of variables that mean your results might vary slightly from mine. Aerial connections and Freeview tuners are remarkably consistent, but network conditions are not. Broadband speeds, router performance, wi-fi quality and even the streaming device itself can all affect how quickly a live stream reaches your screen.

Still, if you want to see how all of these various viewing methods compared, delay-wise, for me, here’s a little graph I whipped up: