On an average day, when a company makes “best ever” claims for its new product, I usually take it with the proverbial pinch of salt. Naturally, when Baseus launched the Inspire XH1 and marketed them as the “finest headphones” it has ever made, I was skeptical. I’m glad that I was wrong. These are the best budget headphones in years, and they hit way beyond their weight class on multiple metrics.
These fall in the rare class of audio wearables that make you double-check the price tag. It takes features that usually live behind a premium paywall and folds them into something almost absurdly affordable. Tuned in collaboration with Bose, these over-ear cans carry a “Sound by Bose” profile that leans into punchy bass and a clarity that outdoes its weight class. The aesthetics borrow plenty from Bose’s premium headphones, serving a comfortable folding frame, plush memory foam earcups, and a proper hard carrying case that you don’t have to fork extra cash for.
The headline numbers are absurd in the best way, especially for the per-charge mileage. They aren’t without their own set of sonic flaws, though. The companion app can be finicky, the Dolby Spatial Audio isn’t a winner, and the active noise cancellation (ANC) mode takes some toll on the audio quality. But the bigger picture is still bright. If you want premium comfort, multi-point connectivity, high-resolution LDAC support, and a warm sound without spending flagship money, the Baseus Inspire XH1 is one of the most compelling options you can get.
Baseus Inspire XH1 specs: What’s inside these cans?
Driver Unit
35 mm dynamic
Frequency Response Range
20 Hz – 40 kHz
Audio Codec
SBC, AAC, LDAC
Connection Modes
Bluetooth / AUX
Bluetooth Version
V6.1
Multipoint Connection
Yes
Low Latency
80 ms
Battery Capacity
800 mAh / 2.39 Wh
Playback Time
Approx. 100 hours (with ANC off and volume at 50%)
Transparency Mode
Yes
Baseus App Support
Yes
Product Materials
ABS + Metal + PC
Ear Cushion Material
Protein Leather
Weight
Approx. 275 g
Size
8.07″ (H) × 6.57″ (W) × 3.14″ (D)
What’s in the Box
Inspire XH1 Headphones, Aux Cable, USB-C Cable, Carrying Case
Baseus Inspire XH1 design and build quality: Luxury ride on a bargain ticket
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
Engineering wallet-friendly wireless headphones usually means cutting costs in a few places, and you can normally see them from a mile away. The Inspire XH1 mostly skips that trend, and to a surprising extent. At a relatively light 275 grams, these closed-back over-ear cans feel a class above what Baseus has offered so far, and you’ll feel it the moment you pick them up.
Now, let’s talk about that Bose brand-and-tune job. The design language is unmistakably Bose-inspired, leaning hard on the styling of the flagship QuietComfort Ultra, with a thoughtful mix of metal and high-grade plastic. Even the colorways, which include Cosmic Black, Starlight Off-White, a muted blue, and a punchy red, echo the grown-up elegance of pricier gear you will come across in the Bose portfolio.
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Baseus has wrapped the sturdy aluminum headband and roomy ear cups in a soft, velvet-like leather. Beneath it sits memory foam that settles comfortably onto your skull, while the clamping force is just about right. It’s gentle enough for the long haul, but I often found the slipping from my sweaty head in the charring Summer of New Delhi.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
Thankfully, even after hours of sustained usage, I didn’t feel any fatigue, save for a bit of warmth around the ears that comes with the closed-back territory. The cups run deep and generous, easily cradling larger ears without complaint. That said, certain ear shapes may find the big internal microphones tucked in the driver cavity brushing against the ear, which takes a small nudge of the cup to get in a comfortable position.
Another aspect of the Baseus Inspire XH1 that I love is portability, thanks to the versatile dual-hinge design. The cups swivel 90 degrees to lie flat across your collarbones when slung around the neck, and the metal hinges let the arms fold up into a tidy package. The hinges feel a touch loose, though, and they’ll spin with barely any resistance. But at the end of the day, these headphones are built to last. To further sweeten the deal, Baseus throws in a color-matched hard travel case, something you’ll hardly find on a product in this price bracket.
Coming to the controls, they are entirely physical, skipping fiddly touch panels for buttons you can actually find by feel. The left cup holds the power button and the ANC toggle, while the right side handles playback and volume. The track-skipping logic is a little awkward. Holding the volume-up button jumps back on the queue, while volume-down moves the dial forward.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
Thankfully, you can customize the behavior of these buttons in the companion Baseus app. The quiet showpiece, though, is the official IP66 rating, meaning serious protection against dust and strong jets of water. Most over-ear wireless headphones ship with no ingress protection at all, which leaves the XH1 oddly well-suited to sweaty gym sessions, light rain, or a dusty walk home.
Score: 9/10
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Baseus Inspire XH1 audio quality: Pleasing, if you stick to the basics
The real winner of the Basesus Inspire XH1 headphones is the audio driver architecture. They come equipped with 35mm dynamic drivers, but it’s not just the hardware that must make it to the headlines. It’s the tuning. Basesus knocked at Bose’s doorsteps to build the “Sound by Bose” default EQ, and in doing so, the brand has nudged the Inspire XH1 out of the budget hearable conversation.
Straight out of the box, the Inspire XH1 leans towards a warm and lightly V-shaped frequency curve. In simpler terms, it’s engaging but doesn’t get in your face with exaggerated frequencies. There’s real energy injected into the upper-mids and lows, and the music feels alive because of it. The bass is the standout aspect. It’s deep, rich, and full-bodied, dropping low without too much effort or distortion.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
Budget-focused headphones tend to smear the low-end into the vocals, but the Inspire XH1 keeps things controlled. The bass is thumping, but never overpowering. Listening to Hatikoli’s Go was a pleasing experience. Likewise, with Bass Boost enabled, Twin’s Uzi got a discernible lift, producing deeper bass without meddling with the synths or the electronic vocals.
One of my friends, after trying Gucci Mane’s I Get The Bag, remarked that the bass is literally vibrating their ears without any jarring effect. The mid-range comes through smooth and textured. Voices sit clearly in the mix, especially with the “Sound by Bose” EQ profile enabled. If there’s a soft spot, it’s right at the top.
The treble misses a little sparkle, so the finest details in cymbals or upper strings can read slightly muted. The upside is that there’s no noticeable sibilance or harshness, even when you crank up the volumes. For fans of classical music, the XH1 offers a surprisingly wide soundstage, making it easy to map instruments across an orchestra.
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Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
The breath behind a woodwind or the low hum of a cello lands with startling clarity. If you’re a fan of Hans Zimmer or artists like Olafur Arnalds, these headphones won’t disappoint. Rock and progressive metal tracks run into a bit of trouble as the highs tend to sound a bit muddy, but you can still salvage them with a bit of EQ tuning.
The biggest hiccup is the Dolby Audio. The two built-in presets that ship with it (Music and Cinema) just suck the life out of songs, especially those where you want to enjoy the lively vocals. Listening to Moein and Sivash Ghomayshi’s Parandeh was a test of patience, as the Dolby Audio mode flattened the highs and mids, making the track feel bland.
In general, the Sound by Bose is the one you should stick with for nearly all genres of songs. For Android users chasing the hi-res dream, the XH1 supports the LDAC codec. There’s also a 3.5mm input for passive, wired listening when the battery finally taps out. Without the internal DSP and amplification doing their thing, though, the sound feels thin and tinny.
Score: 8/10
Baseus Inspire XH1 noise cancellation and transparency: A bright picture
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
Noise cancellation is a well-known litmus test, and it’s usually where budget headphones fall apart. Thankfully, the Inspire XH1 headphones pull off a competent performance and make the daily sonic grind a tad easier to handle. As far as numbers go, Baseus touts up to -48 dB of reduction, which is fairly standard for the price bracket.
Qualitatively, the Inspire XH1 headphones can handle low, sustained drones with ease. Airplane engines, office HVAC units, and the constant roar of a subway car are easily shoved into the background. All you hear is a faint (but not totally faint) remnant of the external noise.
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It’s excellent for the money, but it isn’t the vacuum-sealed silence you get from the likes of Bose QuietComfort Ultra or the Sony WH-1000XM6. High-pitched or sudden sounds, such as a siren, a barking dog, or sharp chatter nearby, still pierce through. It can completely silence a room fan, but not the Reels playing on a phone being used on the next table.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
Oddly, with the noise cancellation enabled, I could still feel the rumble of your footsteps, irrespective of whether I was wearing rubberized slippers or heavy boots. The ANC also affects the audio output. Once enabled, it discernibly shifts the sound profile, giving it a slightly thicker flavor for the low frequencies, while the mids also get a bit suppressed. If you’re chasing the pristine audio output, disable ANC and crank up the volume to drown out the external noise.
Moving to transparency mode, it pipes the humdrum of the outside world into your ear canals to keep you aware of your surroundings. It’s pretty good on the Inspire XH1 headphones. Low-cost headphones usually produce a loud hiss with a synthetic reproduction of the external noise. On the Baseus headphones, the sounds are natural, but the hissing is still there. What baffles me is Baseus’s decision to switch transparency off the moment you take a call.
Moving to the microphone and call quality, things are fairly smooth here. There are five microphones here, and they get a lift from AI-powered noise reduction. On calls, the voice comes through clean and stable. In the noisy landscape of a city street, the AI algorithms kick into action and scrub the background noise. In my time testing these headphones, callers never complained about any jarring background interference. However, a few of my friends pointed out that the voice sounds a tad different and subdued. But overall, the Inspire XH1 can handle calls fairly well, if that’s a key concern for you.
Score: 7/10
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Baseus Inspire XH1 software: Clean and straightforward
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
In order to get the best out of this package, you must head over to the Baseus companion app. The interface is clean, intuitive, and all the features are conveniently laid out. There’s barely any bloat, and all the core controls are easily accessible. All the core controls, including ANC and transparency, can be handled through the app.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
There’s also a “Sound Fit” personalization test that plays a run of tones to gauge your hearing and accordingly creates a customized EQ to compensate for any hearing discrepancies. It works surprisingly well. If you’re an audio purist, there are seven EQ presets, including a “Powerful Bass” mode for bassheads and a “Clear Treble” mode to lift those recessed highs.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
For maximum flexibility, there’s a custom 8-band equalizer, as well. As far as wireless connectivity goes, it’s rock solid. Multipoint support ensures that you can simultaneously pair these Baseus headphones with two devices at once. There’s also a Low Latency mode that is tailor-made for gaming.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
What’s missing is the quality-of-life stuff. There are no wear sensors, so the music won’t pause when you pull the headphones off, and it won’t pick back up when you put them on. Thankfully, they can automatically power off after a brief spell of inactivity and save on the battery juice.
Score: 8/10
Baseus Inspire XH1 battery life: An absolute warhorse
If there’s one aspect where the Inspire XH1 headphones demolish the budget perception (and even pricier headphones), it’s the battery life. The stamina here borders on the ridiculous, and is well past what you would reasonably expect from a wireless pair. Baseus claims a colossal 100 hours of continuous playback with ANC off, clocking down to roughly 50% volume on the standard AAC codec.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
Even with ANC enabled, you’re still looking at 65 hours of per-charge mileage. For comparison, flagships from Apple, Bose, and Sony tend to land somewhere in the 30 to 40-hour range, and that’s mostly restricted to the latest and greatest models. The Baseus Inspire XH1 stands out, and I can vouch for its frugal power uptake.
On average, you can go at least two to three weeks of heavy listening without even worrying about low power warning messages. You can comfortably carry them on a multi-stop international flight, run them through a full office week, and survive weeks of gym duties without plugging in a cable.
The idle power draw is absurdly low and almost negligible. As far as charging goes, the Inspire supports fast charging over USB-C, with a 10-minute plugged-in time delivering enough juice to last 12 hours of music playback. In a nutshell, the proverbial battery anxiety is effectively gone.
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Score: 9/10
Should you buy?
The Baseus Inspire XH1 is nothing short of a masterclass in milking the most value out of your spending, discounted or otherwise. What you get is class-leading comfort, an enormous battery, and capable drivers that will please your ears. In doing so, Baseus offers something that trades blows with the heavyweights of the mid-tier.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
If you love that warm, dynamic Bose signature but won’t drop a minimum of $350 to enjoy it, the Inspire XH1 offers a strikingly close acoustic experience for a fraction of the cost. In case you spend an hour (or more) commuting each day and absolutely need music to focus on work, you have a solid pick here. Thanks to a combination of solid battery life, a protective hard case, and effective noise isolation, these headphones are hard to beat for the 9-to-5 lifestyle.
The cherry on top is the IP66 rating, which means you can comfortably take them for a sweaty gym session. But it’s not a flowery picture everywhere. If a flawless ANC experience is what you can’t live without, you must pay the flagship fee at Bose or Sony’s counter. The Inspire XH1’s ANC is good, but not perfect. Plus, if you lean too much on transparency for long calls, you’re out of luck.
Finally, if you’re chasing those pristine treble lines, you may not like the bass-forward Bose tuning on these headphones. At the end of the day, wireless over-ear cans tag along with compromises. The Baseus Inspire XH1 serves fewer of them than, and effortlessly proves that you don’t need to spend a fortune to enjoy good audio.
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Why not try?
Sennheiser Accentum Plus — If pristine, audiophile-grade sound sits above everything else for you, the Sennheiser Accentum Plus is a solid pick. They skip the big, punchy bass of the Baseus XH1 in favor of a detailed soundstage. The treble clarity is better, which makes them a natural fit for critical listening, jazz, and acoustic material. You get aptX Adaptive support, a finer ANC system, and touch controls on the cups. Battery life lands at a respectable 50 hours, though there’s no ingress protection available.
Sony ULT Wear ($250) — If the bass-forward tuning on the Baseus headphones is not enough, the Sony ULT Wear will satisfy your basshead cravings. A dedicated button slams on huge sub-bass boosts on demand, and these are tuned to rattle your skull. Past the low-end theatrics, you get Sony’s noise-cancelling pedigree, which edges slightly ahead of the Baseus offering. Additionally, wear sensing for auto-pause and resume is seriously convenient.
Beats Studio Pro — In case you’re swimming deep in the Apple ecosystem, the Beats Studio Pro is a smart choice. The sound is far more balanced and refined, but the real standout on these cans is the fully supported Dynamic Head Tracking and Spatial Audio, which is leagues beyond the lackluster Dolby Audio experience on the Baseus. You also get lossless USB-C output. On the flip side, the fit is uncomfortably tight, and you will feel the pain after long listening sessions.
How we tested
For a spell of two months, I used the Baseus Inspire XH1 headphones as my primary noise-cancelling over-the-ear audio gear. I kept them paired with my Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, iPhone 17 Pro, and MacBook Pro, while using the official Baseus (v1.1.11) mobile app.
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To test the audio quality, I played music across different genres and compared the audio quality while using Sony’s WH-1000XM6 as a reference device. To test the noise cancellation and transparency modes, I wore the headphones in buzzing cafes with music playing in the background, on metro rails, in auto rickshaws on busy roads, and in my own room to gauge noise isolation across different frequencies.
Battery life was tested across three full charging cycles, spanning hours of music playback every day with volume levels usually hovering between the 50% and 60% mark. I used Apple Music and Amazon Music (Unlimited tier, Ultra HD quality preset, Dolby Atmos playlist) to stream audio in wired and wireless modes.
Sound significantly influences your sleep quality — positively or negatively — depending on the scenario. Here are examples of each:
Negative impact: Recent studies have shown that environmental noise (especially cars, city or transportation sounds) can decrease your deep and REM sleep while increasing your awake time. Those annoying extraneous noises keeping you up at night provoke a biological stress response in your body, which is detrimental to your sleep quality. As a result, those who sleep in noisy environments are at greater risk of feeling groggy the next day, often experiencing mood changes, annoyance and decreased brain functioning.
A lack of sleep from sound disturbances at night has long-term health consequences, which is why using a pair of sleep headphones can be beneficial in this scenario. Canceling or blocking out those unwanted sounds can help you fall and stay asleep longer.
Positive impact: Listening to audio for sleep — particularly relaxing music or soundscapes — affects our brain and body. Soothing music can shift the focus in your brain from stress-inducing thoughts to a more relaxed state, which helps to lower your heart rate and blood pressure. This makes it easier to fall asleep.
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When listening to music at around 60 beats per minute (the same as the average relaxed human heart), “entrainment” can occur when your body synchronizes with its environment (in this case, the beat of the song), which promotes relaxation.
It doesn’t have to be slow-tempo songs; listening to any music you enjoy can release dopamine in the brain, promoting pleasure and reducing stress and anxiety. Adding music or soothing soundscapes to your bedtime routine can be a great way to mask unwanted extraneous noises and train your body and brain that it’s time for sleep.
Expansion in Japan will enable Midnight to operate in a country that is ‘uniquely vulnerable to AI-generated copyright infringement’ due to ‘sophisticated digital piracy syndicates’ operating at ‘unprecedented scale’.
Dublin-based AI-powered copyright protection platform Midnight Labs is to benefit from investment by Sony Innovation Fund.
The investment for an undisclosed amount would be used to expand Midnight Labs’ agentic ‘Enforcement Engine’ to protect high-value entertainment intellectual property (IP) from mass piracy, deepfakes and AI-generated infringement in the US and Japanese markets, the company said.
Midnight’s technology uses “automated enforcement workflows” to fast-track the scanning, detection, analysis, verification and removal of IP-infringing content in minutes, rather than weeks, according to the company, which forecasts that “video piracy alone will drive an estimated $125bn in annual revenue leakage by 2028”.
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“Generative AI has industrialised piracy, exposing IP holders to both financial loss and real-time reputational damage,” said Dan Purcell, CEO and co-founder of Midnight Labs. “Traditional digital rights management built on manual processes simply cannot keep pace with AI-generated infringement, leaving legal and content protection teams overwhelmed.
“We make enforcement autonomous by scanning, detecting, proving and removing stolen content faster than it can spread, returning control to IP holders over their content, reputation and revenue. The backing of Sony Innovation Fund accelerates that mission.”
Midnight, founded in 2025, said it has removed more than 2.8bn pieces of infringing content across gaming, anime, manga, film, sports, music and live streaming, and works with “the world’s largest streaming platforms, entertainment studios, podcast networks, talent agencies and Fortune 100 executives”.
According to the company, its platform integrates legal-grade evidence collection directly into an automated pipeline, with “every takedown” supported by a “forensic evidence bundle, including time-stamped screenshots, cryptographic hashes, HTML source archives and full network records”, enabling the next steps towards litigation and court proceedings following content removal.
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The company claims that its internal AI platform continuously scans more than 75m sources – including on the dark web and non-compliant platforms – and identifies threats in real time to automate takedowns, filings and compliance workflows.
Expansion in Japan through Sony’s funding will enable Midnight to operate in a country that it said is “uniquely vulnerable to AI-generated copyright infringement” due to “sophisticated digital piracy syndicates” operating at “unprecedented scale” there.
“Midnight Labs is tackling an important and increasingly complex problem for the creative industries,” said Antonio Avitabile, managing director at Sony Ventures EMEA. The company is also backed by Airbridge Equity Partners, Earlybird VC and Upside VC.
Midnight also offers a “creator-focused” product named Ceartas, which the company said is aimed at “protecting the world’s biggest content creators and creator-economy brands from impersonation, piracy and deepfakes”, and was “founded to fight exploitation and protect victims of non-consensual content”.
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It’s already been five years since BGMI came to the Indian market. And if you’ve been playing for long, chances are you remember a very different gaming landscape. Gaming creators were rare, eSports was still finding its footing, and convincing someone that gaming could be a career was almost impossible. Fast forward to 2026, and things look very different. BGMI has moved from just being a fun pastime to leading the Indian gaming sector, with thriving eSports and collaborations with real-world brands that were once impossible.
Speaking to Fossbytes, Srinjoy Das, Director – Marketing & BGMI Product Management at KRAFTON India, explained how both BGMI and the Indian gaming audience have evolved over the years, and why the company increasingly sees BGMI as more than just a battle royale game.
Indian Gamers Have Grown Up
I’d be the first to admit that I downloaded PUBG Mobile on the very first day. It was a quiet afternoon, and I was bored, scrolling through my phone, when I saw it launch in India. I got my friends to download it, too. We used to play together, sitting in the same room for hours before our parents called us back. It’s been many years since that, and we’ve all grown up, pursuing careers in different parts of the world. Still, there’s one way we all keep in touch, and that’s BGMI. It’s the place we hang out virtually, turning the experience from simply grinding through a game into a way to stay in touch with friends while having fun.
When asked what had changed more over the years, the game or the audience, Das had a simple answer: both. Gaming is one of the fastest-moving forms of entertainment today. Unlike movies or TV shows, which evolve gradually, games and the communities around them can change dramatically in just a few years.
According to Das, one of the biggest shifts has been the seriousness with which people now take gaming. He pointed to KRAFTON’s BGMI Career Mode campaign as an example, saying the response showed that many players now see gaming as more than just a hobby. “People are seriously thinking about a career in gaming now,” Das said. “They think gaming gives them real-world skills, and it’s not just about becoming a streamer or an esports player anymore.”
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That broader acceptance is something he believes has transformed the industry. Gaming is no longer something people do only in their spare time. Instead, it has become a mainstream form of entertainment that competes directly with movies, OTT platforms, and social media for people’s attention.
BGMI Is Bigger Than Gaming Creators Now
One of the more interesting changes over the last few years has been the creator ecosystem surrounding BGMI. When the game first exploded in India, gaming YouTubers were the primary way new players discovered the game. Today, however, KRAFTON’s strategy has expanded far beyond traditional gaming creators. According to Das, India boasts one of the largest gaming creator ecosystems in the world for a single title. But he believes the industry has now reached an inflection point where relying solely on gaming creators is no longer enough.
Over the last few months, BGMI has worked with creators like Bhuvan Bam and other mainstream internet personalities. The company is also preparing collaborations with CarryMinati, showing how the game’s reach now extends well beyond the gaming audience. “We’re going beyond gaming-focused influencers,” Das explained. “We’re seeing what else lies beyond that world.”
How KRAFTON Decides What Goes Into New BGMI Updates
One of the more interesting aspects of BGMI today is its updates. Every few months, a new mode introduces a new map to discover, along with special abilities that take time to master. It’s one of the biggest reasons my friends and I still log in to the game, as it’s more fun than just running around a field trying to find an enemy.
I asked Das how the team comes up with these, and he said player feedback remains at the center of the update process. The recently released BGMI 4.4 update introduced a Greek and Roman mythology-inspired theme, complete with floating islands, special powers, and new gameplay mechanics. While these large thematic updates have become a regular part of BGMI, KRAFTON says the goal is always to create new ways for players to prove themselves.
One example is the new Glory Battle system. Instead of allowing everyone access to the same rewards, only top-performing teams can participate in certain encounters and unlock some of the most valuable rewards. According to Das, this creates a stronger sense of achievement and rewards skilled gameplay. “Players repeatedly tell us they like it when we make these changes because it gives them a chance to prove themselves,” he said.
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Along with these updates, another trend that’s become more common in BGMI is brand collaborations, such as those with Mahindra, Royal Enfield, Harley-Davidson, and Ford. While many players may view these collaborations as simple cosmetic additions, Das says the reality is far more detailed. According to him, partner brands are involved in nearly every stage of development. Everything from a vehicle’s appearance to how it sounds and handles is carefully reviewed. Using Royal Enfield as an example, Das told us that both teams spent considerable time perfecting the exact sound the motorcycle makes when players start it up in-game.
A More Social Gaming Experience
More than ever, BGMI feels like a social platform rather than just a game. According to Das, KRAFTON is actively designing for that behavior. Over the years, BGMI has evolved from a simple lobby into a much broader social experience. Features like the Hub, Collection Hall, Home Ground, and the newly introduced Flash Crew system are all designed to encourage players to spend time together outside of matches.
The Hub allows players to interact while waiting for games. Collection Hall lets users showcase their collections to friends. Home Ground gives players the ability to build their own spaces and host gatherings. Flash Crew takes that idea even further by allowing players to create multiple friend groups around different interests and activities. “It’s not just your closest friends anymore,” Das explained. “You can have different types of friends for different circumstances.”
The company is also focusing more on player-generated content. Das said that players have already created nearly 30,000 custom maps using BGMI’s creation tools. That’s a massive leap from the handful of official maps that existed during the game’s early years.
The company now wants to invest even more heavily in that ecosystem. Future tools could allow players to create everything from zombie survival experiences and fighter jet battles to parkour challenges and uniquely Indian environments. “We’re seeing players who don’t just want to play content anymore. They want to create it,” Das said.
Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off today at Apple Park in Cupertino, California. The annual software event, geared toward developers, is also a preview of software (and sometimes hardware) to come.
WWDC will kick off June 8 at 10 a.m. PT in Apple Park in Cupertino, California.
New devices aren’t expected at WWDC, but there’s a rumor that Apple’s first foldable phone could launch later this year.
iOS 27 could include a major Siri update with AI features.
What to expect at WWDC 2026
Apple debuted iOS 26 at WWDC 2025. We expect the company to preview iOS 27 this year.
Joseph Maldonado/CNET/Apple
At this year’s WWDC keynote, the company is expected to unveil new software upgrades, including iOS 27, MacOS 27, iPadOS 27 and WatchOS 27. Apple’s unlikely to announce any new hardware, like the rumored iPhone Fold, but we might see new iOS features that would be particularly nice on a foldable phone. It’s entirely possible Apple Intelligence could be at the center of it all.
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But the breakout star of WWDC 2026 will likely be a revamped Siri that doubles as Apple’s AI chatbot.
Apple’s WWDC also comes following an eventful first few months of 2026. In March, Apple unveiled new hardware, including the budget-friendly MacBook Neo and iPhone 17E, as well as new MacBook models powered by the M5 chip for improved performance.
WWDC will also likely be the final major Apple keynote helmed by Cook, who will step down as CEO on Sept. 1. John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, will then become the company’s CEO just in time for its presumed iPhone announcement in the fall. As part of the CNET Group’s Big Guessing Game contest, 96% of readers who responded think that Ternus will speak at the WWDC keynote today.
Since Apple is full of surprises, nothing’s guaranteed, but with the big event less than two weeks away, we’re unpacking everything we expect to see.
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Watch this: What to Expect From Apple at WWDC 2026 | Tech Today
A revamped Siri
Apple has been teasing a more intelligent version of Siri for years and is expected to debut the latest iteration during its WWDC 2026 keynote.
Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Last year, iOS got a major redesign with Liquid Glass. But another big change is expected this year — Siri could be getting a makeover.
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Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that Apple was testing a standalone Siri app. The rumored overhaul of Siri could mean a button to “Ask Siri” and a standalone Siri app could make the voice assistant more prominent on Apple devices. Siri could also be Apple’s AI chatbot (which could be powered by Google Gemini). If that’s true, Apple’s known voice assistant could be more powerful with generative AI features across iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and MacOS 27.
Siri aside, we could also see an update to the camera with Visual Intelligence AI-powered features for photo and video modes.
MacOS 27
The MacBook Neo has a 13-inch Liquid Retina display and runs on MacOS Tahoe.
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Matt Elliott/CNET
Some of the highly anticipated features we may see in iOS 27 could also be available for MacOS 27 — like a standalone Siri app and built-in Apple Intelligence features. But since MacOS Tahoe is the last operating system to support Intel Macs, we may get a glimpse of what changes we can expect now that Apple Silicon microchips will be required for updates.
iPadOS 27
iPadOS is woven into iOS, but many hope to see more MacOS-like features at WWDC 2026.
Apple
There’s not much we can say about iPadOS 27 right now. We’ll have to see what new features come with the rumored iPadOS 27. Last year, Apple announced iPadOS 26 features, including a new menu bar for apps, the Liquid Glass redesign and Apple Intelligence features like live translation, text summaries and Image Playground updates with ChatGPT. If we see Apple Intelligence and Siri updates in iOS 27, we hope they will be available in iPadOS 27.
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Watch this: iPadOS 26 Almost Turns Your iPad Into a Mac
WatchOS 27
All three Apple Watch models announced at Apple’s Sept. 9 event (left to right): Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch SE 3.
Celso Bulgatti/CNET
Apple hasn’t shared whether the new WatchOS 27 will focus more on features or aesthetics. The new WatchOS could be a slimmed version of the Watch Ultra’s face, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Instead, the watch face could be simpler, like a massive clock with three complication options. But we’ll have to wait to see. Even though WatchOS 27 could be coming soon, WatchOS 26.5 will be a new Pride Luminance watch face and matching band for Pride month in June.
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VisionOS 27
The Vision Pro software could get a decent improvement at WWDC 2026.
Numi Prasarn/CNET
We likely won’t see new Vision Pro hardware until 2028, according to Gurman. Apple’s mixed-reality headsets — the Apple Vision Pro (M2) and (M5) are currently available.
Apple announced new accessibility features for its hardware, including some exclusive to the Apple Vision Pro, in a May press release. The Apple Vision Pro will be able to control compatible wheelchairs using your eyes later this year. On-device speech recognition for generating subtitles will also be available on Apple devices, including the Apple Vision Pro. The headset will allow facial gestures for actions and the selection of elements with your eyes. And if you use the Apple Vision Pro as a car passenger, the headset’s Vehicle Motion Cues can reduce motion sickness, Apple says.
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Otherwise, Apple’s been pretty tight-lipped about any software updates, so we’ll have to see what else is in store at WWDC.
Watch this: Apple Vision Pro’s Best Feature Is Your Avatar. Could Personas End Up on an iPhone Next?
Hints of Apple’s first foldable phone
Rumors point to Apple making a foldable iPhone that is similar to the passport-style design that the original Google Pixel Fold had.
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Jeffrey Hazelwood/CNET
It’s unlikely that we’ll see Apple’s rumored first foldable phone at WWDC, but we might see iOS 27 features that point toward the possibility of one. Plenty of rumors are swirling about what we could expect, if so.
Reports say the phone could be called the iPhone Ultra, iPhone Flip or the iPhone Fold. Design leaks of Apple’s foldable phone resemble the wider book-style similar to Google’s original Pixel Fold. The battery could have a 5,500-mAh capacity, which is better than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Leakers predict a September launch and price between $2,000 and $2,500.
While a foldable iPhone has been rumored as far back as 2021, we’ll have to see if Apple provides any official hints of one at this year’s WWDC. If any new updates to iOS 27 happen to incorporate some of the multitasking features now available on the iPad, that could be as strong a clue as any that a foldable iPhone with a tablet-like display could be on the way.
Halo Studios has set a firm launch date for Halo: Campaign Evolved, its full remake of the original 2001 Halo: Combat Evolved campaign. The new Halo game arrives July 28, with Premium and Collector’s Edition owners getting up to five days of early access starting July 23. Pre-orders are now open across Xbox, Steam, and PlayStation.
New missions add a prequel story arc
Every edition of Halo: Campaign Evolved will include Operation: METEORITE, a new three-mission story arc set one year before the events of the original game. The missions will follow Master Chief and Sgt. Johnson on a covert UNSC operation aboard a Covenant research vessel.
Halo Studios developed the story in collaboration with sci-fi author Troy Denning, whose previous work spans several Halo novels. The studio revealed the first trailer for Operation: METEORITE at the Xbox Games Showcase, showing off new enemy types including the Brute Berserker and a space combat sequence.
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Three editions, one pre-order bonus
The Standard Edition is priced at $49.99 and includes the original 10-mission campaign alongside Operation: METEORITE. The Premium Edition runs $69.99 and adds early access, the Alpha Halo Armory Pack with five armor skins and six weapon skins, and a Digital Story & Art Collection that includes a new short story by Denning.
The Collector’s Edition is $199.99 and bundles in a 12-inch Master Chief statue, a light-up Cortana chip, a Steelbook, concept art prints, and a physical game disc for Xbox Series X and PS5.
Xbox Wire
All pre-orders receive the Foundry Armory Pack, which includes a Classic 2001 Mark V Armor skin and matching Assault Rifle skin, plus two Gilded Onys variants. The Collector’s Edition is exclusive to HaloWaypoint. The game will support cross-play and cross-progression across Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PS5, and will be available on day one with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
For longtime fans, the arrival of a full remake built in Unreal Engine 5, launching simultaneously on PlayStation for the first time, marks a notable shift in how Microsoft is approaching its biggest franchises.
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Think portable PC monitor and something pretty puny probably comes to mind. What you’re probably not imaging is folding contraption with dual 24-inch 1080p displays. What you probably didn’t think of is the extraordinary Acer PD243Y E Portable Monitor.
It’s immediately obvious that the term “portable” is being used pretty liberally by this unusual dual-screen monitor. You’re not going to be slipping it into a small bag with your 13-inch thin-and-light laptop.
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However, it is much more compact and transportable than a typical 24-inch PC monitor, let alone a pair of them. So, it’s not designed to be taken to the coffee shop, even if that isn’t actually out of the question if you could put up with the attention you’d surely attract.
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Instead, the Acer PD243Y E Portable Monitor makes more sense for someone wanting, perhaps, to take an additional screen with them on a long trip or for work presentations, that sort of thing. And for those kinds of remits, the basic ergonomics make sense. But what about the features and performance? Time to find out.
Acer PD243Y E: Design and features
Image 1 of 3
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(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Surprisingly portable for a dual 24-inch display
Clever hinge and ergonomics
No USB-C power delivery
Specs
Panel size: Dual 24-inch
Panel type: IPS
Resolution: Dual 1,920 x 1,080
Brightness: 250 nits
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Contrast: 800:1
Pixel response: 4ms
Refresh rate: 100Hz
Color coverage: 72% NTSC
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HDR: No
VESA: 100mm x 100mm
Connectivity: HDMI 1.4 x1, 2x USB-C
We’ll come to the performance of the Acer PD243Y E Portable Monitor’s dual 24-inch panels momentarily. But the real novelty here involves packaging them into something relatively portable.
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OK, you’re not going to sling this dual-24-inch contraption into your shoulder bag. But Acer has done a good job of keeping the chassis compact and the bezels slim. All told, it weighs in at 4.4kg, which really is pretty impressive given the sheer amount of screen on offer.
The ergonomics are clever, too. The two screens are attached via a sturdy hinge which folds around over 300 degrees. Combined with a kickstand on the lower panel, you can arrange the displays in a variety of configurations, including vertically stacked or tent mode. The latter setup could be handy for making presentations and screen sharing.
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Incidentally, the displays automatically reorient in Windows when you fold into tent mode and both panels run off a single USB-C connection. However, all of that only applies to Windows. Support for Apple Macs is more limited. A MacBook Air, for instance, can only drive one external display, so won’t output to both panels.
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Speaking of connectivity, there’s a single HDMI input and two USB-C ports. Either of later can be used for powering the displays via the included adapter or video input. Sadly, however, neither provides power-out. So, you can’t, for instance, hook up a laptop via USB-C and both drive the display and keep the laptop charged.
That’s a bit of a pity because it increases cable clutter. You’ll need two power adapters, one for your laptop and one for this display, for long-duration use. What’s more, all the ports are located on one side of the lower display. Ideally, at least one USB-C on the other side to give you more cable management options would have been welcome.
Acer PD243Y E: Performance
Image 1 of 3
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(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Relatively low resolution
No HDR support
Good viewing angles
Dual 24-inch displays undeniably provide a huge amount of physical screen real estate in the context of a portable monitor. But usable screen space also depends on resolution, and here the Acer PD243Y E Portable Monitor is less impressive.
The 24-inch panels are native 1080p or 1,920 by 1,080 pixels. That kind of resolution would be pretty low spec these days on a 15-inch laptop, let alone panels this size, even if the comparison with conventional desktop monitors is probably more apt.
Anyway, the point is that, physically, these screens have plenty of space to run two app windows per panel and thus four across the two displays. But because of the relatively low resolution, you may find limitations in that regard. You only have 960 horizontal pixels each for two two app windows on one panel, for instance.
But whatever your metric, 1080p certainly isn’t a huge resolution when applied to a 24-inch in terms of pixel density, too. That means fonts look pretty rough and the image detail just isn’t terribly sharp.
In other regards, these displays are tolerable but inferior to what you’d expect from a conventional display, be that a desktop monitor or laptop panel. Peak brightness is 250 nits, which means they struggle a bit in really bright ambient light, and there’s no HDR support at all.
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That said, they do support 100Hz refresh and so feel fairly responsive, and the basic calibration is decent. Thanks to IPS panel tech, the viewing angles are good too, which will be appreciated for presentations and screen sharing.
Acer PD243Y E: Final verdict
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(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
There’s a lot to like about the Acer PD243Y E Portable Monitor. It’s surprisingly portable for something that offers dual 24-inch displays making it usable in a pretty wide array of contexts.
The ergonomics and build quality are good, too. The hinge and kick stand offer a wide range of configuration options both for personal use and for presentations or screen sharing. In those regards, this dual-screen monitor could be an extremely useful tool. The connectivity on offer via HDMI and USB-C is reasonable, too.
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The quality of the panels is mostly acceptable, too. OK, the IPS panels only hit 250 nits, and there’s no HDR support. But the colours and calibration are good enough for a portable monitor setup.
What isn’t so impressive is the 1080p-per-panel resolution. It somewhat limits the utility of the Acer PD243Y E Portable Monitor in terms of multitasking and it definitely has an obvious impact on image clarity and text crispness.
If this display was 1440p per panel it would make for a pretty fantastic proposition for all round usage, including productivity work. As it is with dual-1080p, the appeal is narrowed somewhat. As a device for presentation and screen sharing, 1080p will often be just fine. But if you were hoping to use this dual-display contraption for, say, video editing or day trading while travelling, the low resolution is a bit of a pity.
ChatGPT is reportedly moving away from chatbots to agents that perform tasks.
OpenAI is overhauling ChatGPT into a ‘superapp’, as it looks to win business customers and better compete with Anthropic ahead of its plans to go public later this year.
News of a ‘superapp’ – a desktop app that combines the AI chatbot alongside the company’s coding tool Codex, and Atlas, an AI-powered web browser launched last October – first surfaced in April this year.
Reports, at the time, suggested that the new app, reportedly representing the biggest ChatGPT overhaul since launch, will be led by head of applications Fidji Simo and company president Greg Brockman.
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The Financial Times reported that the new app will strongly feature Codex, a move that reflects shifting interests from AI chatbots to agents that perform tasks for users. As one senior OpenAI employee told the publication: “Chat is dead”.
Sources told the publication that the new app would feature functions that direct users towards coding, multimodal generation and applications built by partners including Canva and Booking.com. The changes are expected to begin rolling out in the coming weeks, the publication added.
OpenAI isn’t alone in this move. Meta, in March, acquired the viral Reddit-style platform for AI agents called Moltbook. The platform joins Meta’s Superintelligence Labs to develop newer use cases for agents to support individual and business users.
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While, SaaS giant ServiceNow unveiled a raft of AI-driven products earlier this year to position itself as the ‘AI agent of agents’, and Google launched a slew of new products aimed at simplifying agent management.
Google also made its biggest revamp to Search in 25 years with a Gemini integration, giving users the ability to use AI agents that conduct background tasks.
According to the FT, OpenAI executives view ChatGPT as an introductory tool to encourage pick-up of more higher-value products.
A majority of OpenAI’s 1bn monthly-active ChatGPT customers use the free version of the tool. The company’s website states that it has around 5m business users across industries, while the FT reported that it has 2m businesses under its wing and 5m weekly active Codex users.
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The company expects revenue from its business customers, which represents 40pc of its revenue, to grow to 50pc by the end of the year.
The company, which was relatively quiet about plans to go public, filed for an IPO earlier this month after a funding round that valued it above OpenAI. Estimates suggest the round would take Anthropic soaring above a $1trn valuation.
OpenAI, recently valued at $852bn, is also planning to go public, with new reports suggesting that the company is in talks with the US government in hopes that it purchases some of its shares.
“When Hugo Parra was arrested last year on felony charges, his pleas of innocence fell on deaf ears,” reports the Times of San Diego:
San Diego police had a description of the Alfa Romeo car he was riding in [but no license plate number] and a witness who identified him during a curbside lineup as the man who brandished a handgun in Golden Hill. They had also checked the city’s automatic license plate camera system, run by the private company Flock, and got a “hit,” substantiating the claim. The problem, says attorney Alex Coolman, was that Parra was five miles away from Golden Hill at the time of the crime, and the so-called hit from the license plate reader was captured before any police pursuit began. “This Flock hit was obviously the wrong car, as it could not have been in both places simultaneously,” said Coolman, who represents Parra and the driver, 23-year-old Ariel Beltran.
Despite the signs pointing to it being a different Alfa Romeo, police arrested Beltran and Parra… [An officer had informed dispatch that one of the men “matched the victim’s description, other than having a different-colored hooded sweatshirt.”] Parra spent nearly one month behind bars, missing Thanksgiving and other special events with his family, before the assault with a firearm and evasion charges were dropped.
Parras says he was incarcerated with actual murderers, according to the article, and Parra and Beltran are now preparing to sue the city, seeking $1.5 million each in damages for civil rights violations and negligence. Their claim notes they’d driven past several other Flock cameras which officers could’ve used to corroborate their story (not to mention location data on their cell phones).
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Meanwhile, the article also notes that last month the Institute for Justice “identified at least 17 cases in the United States of officers allegedly using Automated License Plate Reader technology to keep tabs on partners, exes, and strangers who had caught their eye…”
A burglar took a self-driving Waymo taxi to rob a San Francisco yoga studio this past January, reports TechCrunch — “and police have still not caught them.”
Even the police officer assigned to the case thought it would be easier to solve, notes The San Francisco Chronicle, since Waymos are outfitted with multiple high-definition cameras and require users to make accounts with their credit card numbers: It’s common for officers to seek video footage of a crime from any of the Waymos, Teslas and other high-tech vehicles that record their surroundings. That information can be crucial for identifying suspects or creating a reliable timeline of events. At times, police will go so far as to obtain search warrants to tow the vehicle “witnesses” to ensure they don’t lose valuable video evidence. In the Hot 8 Yoga burglary case, San Francisco police issued a search warrant that forced Waymo to turn over information on the account that ordered the ride and video footage from the white Jaguar that served as the getaway car, police records show.
Faye said that he couldn’t discuss certain details of the case, but that the Waymo user’s account information didn’t lead police to the suspect. In general, he said, it’s not unusual for a criminal to order a service with stolen information or a burner phone. The video evidence didn’t help much either, Faye said. He said that the company had not retained interior footage of the car by the time the search warrant was filed in April and that it had kept the faces seen outside the car blurred for privacy reasons… Waymo does not publicly disclose how long it retains video footage. The company blurs faces and license plates in the public-facing images it uses in a database designed for research….
Last year in Los Angeles, a person allegedly robbed a grocery store before hopping in a Waymo. Officers were able to chase down the vehicle after the suspect got inside, and the car pulled itself over after police turned on the car’s emergency lights, according to Los Angeles-area news outlets. “Farah Issa, studio manager of Hot 8 Yoga, showed the Chronicle a copy of the surveillance video from her phone, noting how the Waymo dropped off the suspect and waited for him to finish the burglary before taking off again.”
This 13-inch spec has a 10-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory, and 512GB of storage. And with free 2-day shipping on orders shipped within the contiguous U.S., you won’t have to wait long to begin using your ultraportable laptop.
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With Father’s Day on June 21 and graduation gift-giving in full swing, this 24-hour Deal Zone is worth checking out thanks to its budget-friendly price tag and upgraded GPU.
While the M4 laptop is a last-gen model that was released in 2025, you can still enjoy the same chassis design and two Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports as the current M5 model (only at a much lower price point).
B&H’s WWDC Deal Zone ends tonight at 8:59 p.m. Pacific Time, or while supplies last. And if you need a larger screen size, B&H has also slashed prices on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with discounts of up to $300 off.
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