Apple has revealed the battery capacities of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max for the first time. Apple doesn’t usually include battery capacity in new iPhone announcements. But with the EU Energy Label regulations, Apple must release the figures. Early Geekbench results have also revealed the speed of the A20 Pro processor, giving a clearer idea of what the new Pro models offer in battery life and performance.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max Battery Capacities Revealed

Apple has disclosed the new Pro range battery sizes through EU Energy Labels. The iPhone 18 Pro has a 4,056mAh battery, while the Pro Max has a 5,391mAh battery. This translates to an increase of 1.45% and 11.8%, respectively, compared with their predecessors. The comparisons should be made against their individual iPhone 17 Pro ranges. However, this comparison varies by region. EU versions have physical SIM slots, while eSIM-only models can use that space for larger batteries.

The EU Energy Labels give both models an A energy rating, B drop-resistance rating, and C repairability rating. Both phones also carry an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. Apple says their batteries can retain at least 80% capacity after 1,000 charge cycles. For eSIM-only models, Apple claims up to 36 hours of video playback on the Pro. The Pro Max can reach up to 45 hours. Real-world ratings are 24 and 30 hours, respectively. Both models can reach 50% charge in around 15 minutes. Apple also claims that five minutes of charging can provide around six hours of video playback.

A20 Pro Geekbench Performance and New Hardware

Early Geekbench 6.7 results give a first look at the A20 Pro’s performance. Two devices listed as iPhone 19,2 and iPhone 19,3 scored 4,719 and 4,612 points in single-core tests. Their multi-core scores reached 12,677 and 11,819 points, respectively. The two results average around 4,665 points in single-core and 12,248 points in multi-core. Compared with the average iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max results, the scores suggest around 21–23% higher performance.

Apple developed the A20 Pro using 2nm process technology. The A20 Pro CPU has six cores: two Supercores and four efficiency cores. The chip also has a seven-core GPU and a Neural Engine. The Neural Engine in this version has 32 cores. The memory bandwidth has been upgraded by 50%. According to Apple, CPU performance improves by 20% and GPU performance by 40%. These changes could make a difference in demanding games and on-device AI processing.

Apple has also optimized the A20 Pro chip packaging to improve cooling. Moreover, it uses an enlarged vapor chamber with three times the surface area of the iPhone 17 Pro. It has been claimed that this setup can help achieve up to 40% greater sustained performance. This matters because phones tend to decrease performance during prolonged use for gaming, video editing, or AI applications. Results for the latest Android chips are also unclear. For example, the Dimensity 9600 prototype achieved scores of 4,139 points in a single-core test and 13,285 points in multi-core tests. Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 results also remain inconsistent, so it is too early to name a clear performance winner.

iPhone 18 Pro vs Pro Max: Which Model Should You Buy?

The iPhone 18 Pro Max suits people who value battery capacity and usage time. It has a larger battery and longer battery life, making it suitable for users with higher demands. On the other hand, users have to cope with its size and high price. The iPhone 18 Pro is designed for people who want a smaller phone without sacrificing the A20 Pro’s performance. Furthermore, Apple promises that improved efficiency may give users battery time comparable to the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Ultimately, the choice comes down to battery endurance and phone size, rather than a major performance difference.

Bottom line: Micron just put the biggest employee payout in its history on the table in Taiwan, and the union at its Taoyuan plant rejected it the same day. That reads as irrational until you get into the fine print. The workers aren’t haggling over the size of this year’s check. They’re fighting over whether a formula exists at all – and the difference between those two things is worth roughly half a million dollars per head.

Following up on our report last month, Micron has now made its offer to employees demanding AI boom bonuses. Every Taiwan-based employee hired on or before August 29, 2025 gets a one-time cash bonus of NT$1 million, about $31,650, with prorated amounts for anyone who joined afterwards.

Direct labor staff are guaranteed minimum total cash compensation of NT$1.7 million, roughly $54,000, which Micron describes as the equivalent of 35 to 68 months of pay.

Entry-level engineers average NT$3.4 million in total rewards, about $107,000, most of it in cash and a smaller portion as equity at grant value. More than 60,000 employees globally are in line for fiscal 2026 rewards, which the company frames as following “an extraordinary year.”

It should be mentioned that the “68 months” of pay is a ratio against basic salary, not total compensation – and in Taiwan’s manufacturing pay structure, basic salary is a narrow slice that excludes shift differentials, overtime, and allowances.

As a response, the union’s statement said the package “sidestepped” discussion of the bonus system itself. What they want is structural: scrap the existing “Incentive Pay Plan” and replace it with a permanent mechanism allocating 15% of operating profit to worker bonuses, distributed quarterly rather than annually, plus a one-off payment equal to 83 months of salary for fiscal 2026.

Credit: App Economy Insights

The IPP is the real grievance. Micron’s Incentive Pay Plan has been paying out around 2.6 months of salary, under a cap that tops out near five months.

That’s what workers got in a year when quarterly revenue jumped 346% and the company banked $28 billion in profit in a single three-month stretch. Lin Jer-ray, who heads the Micron Wafer Technology Enterprise Union, has summed up the complaint plainly: profits went vertical, pay didn’t.

And the 15% figure isn’t a negotiating fantasy pulled from the air. The unions circulated a peer comparison to justify it. Samsung’s DS division distributes 10.5% of operating profit under the deal that called off an 18-day strike involving as many as 48,000 members in May. SK Hynix agreed last year to share 10% of annual operating profit for a decade. Domestically, Macronix pays 15% of net profit, Nanya 6%, Powerchip 5%, TSMC 4.7%, Winbond 2%. Micron trails all of them.

That comparison is also why the two sides are so far apart. SK Hynix’s 10% formula is on track to pay its workers somewhere around $547,000 each this year. Micron’s offer guarantees $54,000. The unions aren’t asking to be paid better than the industry, they’re asking to be at least in the same ballpark.

A second round of mediation is set for September 21. Taiwan law requires mediation before a legal strike, so if that session collapses, a formal strike vote follows. The two unions count somewhere between 10,000 and 12,000 members, out of roughly 15,000 Taiwan staff.

Nine days after that mediation, on September 30, Micron reports quarterly earnings it has already told investors will land near $50 billion in revenue. Taiwan produces 50-60% of Micron’s chips and the bulk of its HBM, which means a walkout would hit at the worst possible moment for the company. The Central Taiwan Science Park administration has warned that a stoppage could ripple out across the island’s chip supply chain and assigned staff to keep both sides talking.

Most analysts still expect a deal. The profit behind this year’s bonus is already made, and Micron can close most of the gap with money it’s currently generating, which is exactly how the Samsung and SK Hynix standoffs ended. In South Korea, some in the industry see the mess as a chance to win back engineers who left for Micron over the years.

For anyone shopping for memory, the stakes are simpler. DRAM supply is already tight and prices are expected to stay high well past 2027.

A hot potato: Once again, a warning about AI development resulting in a catastrophe has come from one of the people building these models. Anthropic boss Dario Amodei says that an AI-powered botnet swarm could take over the entire internet, and this scenario could become a reality in just six to twelve months. The CEO has also called for a slowdown in the developement of new AI models.

Amodei wrote his warning in a lengthy open letter. He said his theoretical botnet swarm could be here in under a year because of the accelerating rate of AI capability development.

Amodei said this botnet could cause hundreds of billions of dollars in damage, and that the scale of damage would continue to increase from there if AI becomes more powerful without the necessary guardrails.

The CEO adds that the idea of pausing or slowing AI has been floated as far back as 2023, but he believes it made little sense back then. Now, Amodei says slowing down development could bring an extra year or two before models reach critical levels of capability, giving companies more time to advance alignment and reduce the risk that something goes seriously wrong.

Amodei’s warning comes at a time when fears over AI are reaching a peak. Following the multiple incidents of agents going rogue, former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon warned that the AI race could end in human extinction.

Amodei’s call to slow the pace of AI development is being backed by both Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. “I’ve been sounding the alarm on AI for a long time,” Musk said, highlighting a 2014 post in which he said: “We need to be super careful with AI. Potentially more dangerous than nukes.”

– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 13, 2026

“I agree with Dario that we need to pace the frontier,” Altman said. “Committing to having independent evaluators with employee-like access is a great idea, and we will do the same. We’ll have more to share soon.”

– Sam Altman (@sama) September 12, 2026

Evan Hubinger, an alignment science lead at Anthropic, added his voice to the debate. He agreed with Coxon’s assessment and said there was more than a 10% chance of AI wiping out all humans in the next decade.

Beyond the digital dangers, it was recently reported that an Iran-linked group used Anthropic’s Claude to assist with military reconnaissance and generate targeting recommendations for US naval forces in the Middle East. It was also discovered that Houthi rebels used Claude Code to code ballistic missile guidance systems.

Anthropic also said it identified possible attempts by suspected state-sponsored researchers to exploit its Claude AI model to develop biological weapons. The users were locked out after repeated attempts triggered Claude’s built-in safety protocols.

The concerns over these incidents and the race toward developing superintelligence have seen Senator Bernie Sanders propose the Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act. If it became law, those who violate its terms could face up to 20 years in prison: a similar punishment to the penalty for unlawfully developing nuclear weapons.

– Sen. Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) September 12, 2026

Calling for a slowdown in the development of AI isn’t very helpful if nobody does it. Companies worry that if they slow their pace and others don’t, they’ll get left behind. Similarly, countries say that they won’t be able to compete with rivals if limits are placed on development. Not that any of this will matter if we’re all dead, of course.

So, you’re going to China and you need to get your phone in order, but you don’t know where to start. That was me, a month ago.

Now I’ve been there, for a week of work and another week of personal travel in and around Shenzhen. In that time, I got a good grasp on the ecosystem of apps and mini-apps. Enough, at least, to get you started if you’re venturing to China anytime soon.

Most people will be aware – but I’ll say it here just in case you’re not – that many US-based apps and services aren’t available in China, thanks to the Great Firewall (a series of laws that limits and regulates internet use). This affects the availability of Western social media such as Instagram and the non-Chinese version of TikTok, messaging apps including WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, and anything that falls under the sprawling Google umbrella.

If you use an eSIM to roam while you’re in China (highly recommended), or manage to get a VPN to work reliably (not a given), you’ll still be able to access those services. But you will also need a whole different set of apps – and this isn’t optional. You won’t get by for a single day without them.

I’d been to China once before, over a decade ago. Unprepared for the Great Firewall and unaware of the workarounds, I just went offline for a week.

Now, that’s not an option – in large part because if you want to pay for anything in China, you must do so using your phone. I didn’t take a credit card out with me for the whole two weeks I was in the country. Anywhere else, this would have been reckless, but in China, I simply wouldn’t have been able to use it.

WeChat and Alipay: The super apps

Enter WeChat and Alipay. They’re super apps, meaning you can do all kinds of things with them, but you’ll mainly need them for payments. I would strongly recommend downloading both and setting them up by linking them to multiple credit cards before you arrive in China (it can be trickier to do once you’re in the country).

To pay for things, from groceries to public transit, you’ll either scan a QR code with your phone, or allow the vendor to scan your personal QR code. 

I recommend having both apps because occasionally one of the apps didn’t play ball when I was trying to pay for something (a stressful experience if that something was a dinner I’d already eaten), but the other would work just fine.

Alipay and WeChat are known as super apps because they’re platforms that host thousands of lightweight mini applications that sit inside them – from popular drinks brands such as Hey Tea and Luckin, to the transit app that allowed me to order KFC straight to my seat on a high-speed train from a station we passed through.

Some apps, such as Meituan (for food delivery) and Didi (for ride-hailing and, which I’ll address separately later) worked best for me as mini-apps within WeChat and Alipay. Not all mini apps are designed for payment, but this is almost exclusively what I used the super apps for.

Of the two, I preferred using Alipay, largely because I found the interface easier to navigate. Whenever I opened the app, the home screen presented me with three big buttons titled “Scan,” “Pay/Receive” and “Transport,” which allowed me immediate access to public transit tickets and passes for whatever city I was in.

The option to translate the content of mini apps was also less fiddly to find on Alipay, popping up as a little tab on the left of the screen.

Where Alipay and WeChat differ – and another reason I’d recommend having both – is that WeChat is first and foremost a messaging app. When you open the app, the first thing that pops up will be your chat history, just as if you were looking at your messages.

You might not know anyone in China right now, but your hotel will probably want to add you on WeChat – probably ahead of your stay – in order to have an open line of communication with you in which messages can be easily translated between languages. I found this super helpful for arranging transfers and breakfast, among other things.

I also thought WeChat did a better and more consistent job of translating mini app content overall (top tip: tap the three dots in the top right corner of the screen to access the hidden menu containing the translation option).

Amap: The Google Maps alternative

Perhaps the biggest challenge for me while traveling through China – digitally speaking, at least – is what it did to Google Maps. Overnight it turned from a geographical safety blanket that’s guided me around the world multiple times into the most useless app on my phone.

Katie Collins/CNET

Thanks to my eSIM, I could access Google Maps, but it contains almost none of the location information about China you’ll actually need. Some people suggested using Apple Maps as an alternative, but I didn’t find it much better.

Instead, I recommend doing as the Chinese do and downloading Amap. I found it frustratingly slow to load at times, and it didn’t have the same depth of information Google Maps has about dining establishments – the lack of menus is a big difference, for example. But if you want to find local businesses and walk around without getting lost, Amap is the one.

One nice touch is that it would plan out walking routes for me based on tree cover and shade provided by buildings depending on the time of day. Given that the temperature was regularly over 100 degrees Fahrenheit with high humidity, I appreciated this guidance.

Didi: The Uber alternative

You might think, like I did when I first landed in China, that you’ll probably take public transit everywhere. Then you’ll see the price of a Didi and reconsider.

If you can use Uber (which is not available), you can use Didi – it’s straightforward, affordable and convenient. You can download it separately, but I used it as a mini app within Alipay, which made it easy to pay. 

One quirk was that it didn’t automatically take the money from my card after I finished a journey. Instead, I had to manually pay after getting out of the vehicle. I often forgot to do this, but you’re not allowed to book another trip until you’ve paid for your last one. The app also prompted me to pay for my journey to the airport up front, which I appreciated, as I would’ve hated to accidentally skip town without paying.

Something to know about Didi is that the driver will confirm you’re the correct passenger by asking you the last four digits of your phone number. To overcome the language barrier, I found the best strategy was to have the last four digits saved in my notes app and to have it open to show the driver every time I jumped into a car.

Trip.com: The only booking app you’ll need

Are you an Expedia or Booking.com loyalist? Forget them both. You need one app and one app only for booking hotels in China, and that’s Trip.com.

Trip.com has a much bigger portfolio of accommodation in China than any other site or service you might use. If you’re an avid reader of reviews, you’ll also find many, many more here than anywhere else on the internet.

The app also serves as a portal for booking almost anything else you might want or need while you’re in China. I used it to book high-speed train tickets, entry to attractions and even a theater excursion. (Yes, I went to the theater, and no, I didn’t understand a word.)

Some people have also recommended Klook for booking tickets and excursions, but I can’t recommend it personally as I didn’t use it. I also liked the fact that Trip.com displayed all of my tickets and bookings in a chronological itinerary.

Rednote: For inspo

The decline of travel journalism and blogs means that many of us turn to Instagram and TikTok for inspiration when going on trips these days. You can find recommendations for China on both of these platforms, but it’s largely made by foreign visitors rather than locals.

If you’re looking for inspiration beyond the same five tourist traps or trends for every place you visit, I’d recommend downloading Rednote.

The app is a little funky to use – people post a lot of “live” pictures for a reason I can’t fathom – but the recommendation algorithm is strong. I didn’t need to spend much time searching beforeRednote started showing me content in the destinations I was visiting that was very much my vibe.

The result: I went to many excellent coffee shops and restaurants I otherwise wouldn’t have known about, and where I didn’t see another non-Chinese person.

Unlike the other apps I’ve listed here, this one is nice to have rather than essential, but I found it invaluable for curating my itinerary.

Do I need a Chinese phone number?

Many people wonder whether they’ll need a Chinese SIM card and phone number while they’re in the country. In my experience, it’s not essential and you should prioritize using an eSIM above anything else.

But if you have a spare phone you can bring, a Chinese SIM card can be worth it. I went into a China Mobile store where I handed over my passport for registration and within half an hour walked out with a free SIM card with enough data to last me until the length of my trip.

The reason I got a local SIM was that I wanted to test out a couple of things (ordering food on the train and Shenzhen’s drone delivery service) that specifically required a Chinese number. I also used the SIM to tether off on a couple of occasions when I was in more rural areas and I couldn’t get my payment apps to work using my eSIM.

By and large, most visitors won’t need a Chinese number, so don’t worry about trying to get hold of a local SIM card – especially if you’re only in the country for a short period of time.

Editors’ note: Katie Collins’ travel costs for the Honor event were covered by Honor. The judgments and opinions of CNET are our own.

Katie Collins

Principal Writer

Katie is a UK-based news reporter and features writer. Officially, she is CNET’s European correspondent, covering tech policy and Big Tech in the EU and UK. Unofficially, she serves as CNET’s Taylor Swift correspondent. You can also find her writing about tech for good, ethics and human rights, the climate crisis, robots, travel and digital culture. She was once described a “living synth” by London’s Evening Standard for having a microchip injected into her hand.

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Google Workspace attackers don’t necessarily need to exploit a software vulnerability or steal a user’s password to gain access to an organization’s data.

On September 23, 2026, BleepingComputer will host a live webinar titled “Breach autopsy: How fast-growing companies are breached through Google Workspace” with Material Security.

The webinar will feature Rajan Kapoor, Vice President of Security at Material Security, and Rick Fitzgerald, President of Fireside Consulting LLC, examining two attacks that used malicious OAuth applications and social engineering to breach Google Workspace environments.

OAuth allows users to grant applications access to Google Workspace data and services without sharing their passwords. While this makes it easier to connect legitimate applications to Google Workspace, attackers can also abuse the authorization process by convincing users to grant permissions to malicious apps.

Rather than stealing credentials, attackers can use social engineering to persuade a target to authorize an application, potentially providing access to sensitive information available through the permissions the user approved.

These attacks highlight why protecting Google Workspace requires organizations to look beyond passwords and traditional authentication controls and understand which applications have access to their environment.

During the webinar, the speakers will break down how the two attacks unfolded, the weaknesses that allowed them to succeed, and the decisions organizations made during the critical first hours of the incidents.

Attendees will also learn which security controls provide the greatest value for fast-growing organizations and what the speakers would prioritize if they were building a Google Workspace security program from scratch.

When attackers convince users to grant access

Social engineering attacks are often associated with tricking users into revealing passwords or other credentials. Malicious OAuth apps provide attackers with another approach: convincing the victim to authorize access instead.

A user may believe they are connecting a legitimate application or responding to a trusted request while actually granting a malicious app permissions within their Google Workspace environment.

The resulting access depends on the permissions granted, but the attack demonstrates why organizations need visibility into third-party applications and the access users are allowed to authorize.

By examining two attacks that combined malicious OAuth applications with social engineering, this webinar will provide a practical look at how these breaches happen and what defenders can do to reduce their exposure.

The upcoming webinar will cover:

• How attackers combine social engineering and malicious OAuth applications to target Google Workspace environments
• How users can be manipulated into authorizing application access
• What happens during the first hours of a Google Workspace breach and which response decisions matter most
• Which security controls provide the greatest value for fast-growing companies with limited security resources
• Practical security improvements organizations can implement quickly, ranked by effort and potential impact

Join us to see how malicious OAuth applications and social engineering can lead to Google Workspace breaches and what organizations can learn from real-world attacks.

➡ Register now to secure your spot!

Two announcements in, Fidelity Imports UK’s strategy is starting to come into focus. Matrix Audio will become the company’s second launch brand when Fidelity Imports UK begins trading on October 1, 2026, adding high-resolution music streamers, DACs, digital transports and amplification products to a portfolio that began last week with German manufacturer sonoro.

The more interesting part is what those two appointments tell us when viewed together. sonoro was a new relationship for Fidelity Imports and demonstrated that the UK operation would not simply reproduce the company’s North American catalog. Matrix Audio takes the opposite route: Fidelity Imports already represents the Chinese digital-audio manufacturer in the United States, making this an established partnership being extended into another market.

In other words, Fidelity Imports UK is not copying the American business, but it is not ignoring the relationships that already work there either. That makes considerably more sense than forcing every brand into the same suitcase before crossing the Atlantic.

Who Is Matrix Audio?

Based in Xi’an, China, Matrix Audio designs its hardware, operating software and control applications in-house. Its portfolio is heavily focused on digital audio and includes music streamers, streaming DACs, digital transports, headphone amplification, integrated amplifiers and more traditional separates.

That immediately separates it from sonoro, but the distinction goes beyond hardware categories. At the center of the Matrix ecosystem is MA Player, the company’s Linux-based high-resolution playback platform, paired with the MA Remote App for iOS, iPadOS and Android.

MA Player supports locally stored music, NAS libraries and network playback while integrating a broad selection of streaming services and protocols. Matrix currently lists support for Apple Music, TIDAL, Qobuz, HIGHRESAUDIO and other services, along with Roon Ready, AirPlay, DLNA/UPnP, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect and Audirvāna functionality. Depending on the hardware, the platform supports PCM playback up to 32-bit/768kHz and DSD up to 22.4MHz.

The software component matters because plenty of manufacturers can machine an attractive aluminum chassis and install a competent DAC stage. Designing the operating environment and control software in-house is considerably more difficult, and it gives Matrix direct control over the part of the product owners actually interact with every day. Anyone who has spent four figures on a streamer only to discover that its control app was apparently designed during a hostage situation understands the problem.

From Streamers to Complete Systems

Matrix Audio has expanded considerably beyond standalone DACs and network players. Its current M Series includes products such as the MS-1 and MS-1c music streamers, along with dedicated preamplification and power amplification, while the wider range includes products such as the TS-1 streamer/DAC/headphone amplifier, TT-1 and NT-1 digital transports, and MD-1 and MD-1P streaming integrated amplifiers.

The MD-1 and MD-1P provide a useful example of how far the company has moved toward complete digital systems. Both combine Matrix’s streaming architecture with integrated amplification, with the MD-1 rated at 150 watts per channel into 8 ohms and the MD-1P increasing output to 300 watts per channel into the same load.

British buyers should not assume, however, that the entire current North American Matrix catalog will be available immediately. Fidelity Imports UK has not yet announced its initial Matrix Audio product selection, recommended UK pricing, dealer availability or launch activities, with those details expected before trading begins on October 1.

A Different Kind of Second Brand

The first two Fidelity Imports UK appointments do not overlap very much, and that appears deliberate. sonoro offers integrated music systems, loudspeakers, turntables and electronics with broader lifestyle appeal, while Matrix Audio is far more heavily invested in streaming, DACs, high-resolution digital playback and systems built around networked sources.

Putting both brands into the same launch portfolio gives dealers two very different propositions rather than a collection of manufacturers fighting for the same customer and shelf space. Fidelity Imports UK says it is looking for manufacturers with distinctive engineering, strong design, clear market positioning and meaningful potential within the specialist retail channel.

Matrix checks those boxes while bringing something else to the table: an existing relationship with Fidelity Imports. That reduces some of the uncertainty inherent in launching a new distribution company because Fidelity already knows the products, the people behind them and how the brand operates in another major audio market.

More Brands Are Coming

Matrix Audio is only the second manufacturer to be disclosed, and Fidelity Imports UK says additional brand and product-category announcements will continue throughout September before the company officially starts trading on October 1, 2026.

I recently interviewed Jamie McKay, Managing Director of Fidelity Imports UK, about the launch, the thinking behind the portfolio and the realities of entering one of the world’s most established specialist hi-fi markets. We hope to publish that conversation later this week.

There are still some obvious questions about how large the portfolio will become, what Fidelity believes British dealers are currently missing and how another distributor convinces retailers that it deserves floor space and attention. McKay had plenty to say about all three.

The Bottom Line

Matrix Audio is a more revealing second appointment than it might initially appear. sonoro showed that Fidelity Imports UK is willing to establish relationships that do not exist within the North American business, while Matrix demonstrates that successful Fidelity partnerships can also be extended into Britain when the manufacturer fits the strategy.

What we still do not know is equally important: which products are coming to the UK, how much they will cost and which dealers will sell them? Those details are expected before October 1, but one comment during my recent interview with McKay makes the remaining portfolio announcements potentially more interesting.

I reiterated the point made in our first article that it would seem rather strange for Fidelity Imports UK to simply mirror the North American roster when a number of Fidelity Imports brands are themselves British and, on the surface, would have little reason to require another distributor in their domestic market.

McKay pushed back on that assumption and explained that not every British audio manufacturer is necessarily happy with how things are working in its home market. Without naming any company, he suggested that some British brands might not be opposed to becoming part of the new Fidelity Imports UK lineup.

No manufacturer was identified, and we are not going to start throwing darts at a list of British audio companies and turn speculation into news. Coming from someone who knows the UK specialist market better than most, however, it was an interesting comment and one worth remembering as the remaining brands are revealed.

We’ll have considerably more from McKay when our full interview is published later this week.

For more information: fidelityimports.co.uk | matrix-digi.com

This smart lock is built for rentals in all-new ways. / Tyler Lacoma/CNET

Pros & Cons

• 
  
  
  Affordable for its tech and design quality
• 
  
  
  Many access options including fingerprint, included cards, keys, keypad and more
• 
  
  
  Extra-large battery case rated for up to three years
• 
  
  
  Easy to manage access and logs through the app
• 
  
  
  Unique sleep mode if the home is going unused for a while
• 
  
  
  Effective and simple TapCom communication include for vacation renters and similar situations

• 
  
  
  The rental-focused design may not be suited for every home
• 
  
  
  The deadbolt requires manual turning when locked/unlock, which differs from most smart locks

Many smart locks introduced innovations in 2026. We saw charging solar panels and ultrawideband sensing. But Lockly went the opposite way: The security company has launched a new lock called Lyro, which aims at a unique mix of affordability, battery life and new features made specifically for vacation rentals, short-term renting, landlords and similar situations. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.

To test the Lockly Lyro Lasta ($169), I set it up as if I was the owner, and tried to access it in a variety of ways like I was a newcomer on vacation. It’s interesting what features Lockly has added here, and what the company has done with a lock well under $200 that still has a durable design, fingerprint sensor, RFID tags to give out and more. Here’s what I found.

A design made for durability and battery power

The Lyro Lasta is mostly a normal smart lock — except for several very important additions. On the front of the lock I found the fingerprint reader and Lockly’s stylish touchscreen keypad, a design I’ve seen on other Lockly products before and found them very reliable. That outward-facing section is also IP65 weatherproof, so you shouldn’t need to worry much about operation in heavier weather.

The inside housing, however, is extra large because it’s made to hold eight AA batteries, something I’ve never seen in a smart lock before, since most are made for four AAs or fewer. Lockly says the extra battery boost lets the lock last for up to three years without needing replacement. It’ll take me a while to see if that’s true.

As with most modern locks, this Lyro model doesn’t need a Wi-Fi hub to go online. Installation and setup proved relatively simple. The lock isn’t especially complex, and components are quite sturdy for the price.

Codes, keys and more access options

In addition to standard keys, keypad code, phone connection and the included NFC tags, I tested this lock’s fingerprint sensor, which boasts a 0.2-second response time (I don’t know about that, but it was under a second), and the ability to hold 99 fingerprints.

Everything proved responsive with smooth operation, but I did run into yet another unique feature of the Lasta that took me by surprise. Almost every other smart lock I’ve tested automatically unbolts the lock when it’s unlocked by any means. Not so here: This lock unlocks internally, but you still need to manually turn either the inside or outside thumbturns to move the deadbolt.

I’m not sure why Lockly chose this approach, which could be confusing to those with experience in smart locks. It may cut down on wear and tear, and it could help save even more battery life, but it’s important visitors know they’ll need to manually move the lock. Fortunately, the lock also introduces all-new ways to communicate with guests.

Best Home Security Systems for Renters in 2026: Hassle-Free, No Contracts

You can equip your rental with personalized security options. My picks can fit nearly anywhere — no screws required.

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Lockly TapCom and other rental-friendly add-ons

The plethora of unlocking options are convenient for anyone, but this Lyro lock also has features that make it well-suited for vacation rentals, visitors, Airbnbs and similar situations. The extra battery life, for example, is particularly handy for homes that may stay vacant for part of the year, or have off-seasons with little activity. But that’s only the start.

The physical RFID tags make it easy to hand off access methods to others without fussing with extra pairs of physical keys, and you can disable them by the app if they aren’t returned. Speaking of the app, it also provides owners with an easy-to-use log of activity, and an unusual sleep mode that saves even more battery life if a residence is going to stay unused for a while.

But the most useful rental feature of them all is the TapCom, the platform Lockly offers to help connect and coordinate renters with owners. It’s not the first Airbnb-friendly platform I’ve seen announced this year, but it is one of the first to market and I like what I see.

To use TapCom, owners scan a QR code on a card-sized NFC plate, then stick the plate by the Lyro lock. When guests show up, they can scan the code with their phones or just tap directly on the card to get started. Owners control different ways for guests to communicate and announce their arrival, as questions, wait for remote unlocking, finalize payment info and so on.

In my tests, TapCom allowed me to enable video calls, audio calls and requests to unlock, and geofencing that only enables communication when a phone is right by the TapCom plate. Connections worked accurately in seconds on both phones used in the conversations. Of course, you will need to give the platform a certain amount of access to your mics, phone number, etc. to make this all work.

While these features sound like a particularly good fit for Airbnbs, I can imagine standard landlords and property management companies, along with tenants, would also appreciate such on-demand communication options.

Final thoughts on the Lyro Lasta

Lockly’s Lyro Lasta ($169) does a little of everything with unique new features made just for rentals, vacation homes, Airbnbs and similar situations, at a reasonable price.

The extra-long battery life, multitude of access options and free support for the TapCom communication system for new guests all worked flawlessly in my tests, although I was caught off guard by the need to manually turn the deadbolt after it locked/unlocked internally.

The Lyro Lasta is more of a niche product than many smart locks, but it’s a niche with plentiful opportunities, including owners with specific plans on how to manage their property for newcomers. It will be interesting to see what comes of the Lyro line in the future.

Tyler Lacoma

Editor / Home Security and Smart Home

Tyler has worked on, lived with and tested all types of smart home and security technology for over a dozen years, explaining the latest features, privacy tricks, and top recommendations.

With degrees in Business Management, Literature and Technical Writing, Tyler takes every opportunity to play with the latest AI technology, push smart devices to their limits and occasionally throw cameras off his roof, all to find the best devices to trust in your life. He always checks with the renters (and pets) in his life to see what smart products can work for everyone, in every living situation.

Living in beautiful Bend, Oregon gives Tyler plenty of opportunities to test the latest tech in every kind of weather and temperature. But when not at work, he can be found hiking the trails, trying out a new food recipe for his loved ones, keeping up on his favorite reading, or gaming with good friends.

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PC prices have been heading into the stratosphere lately. Memory and storage costs have climbed sharply, and even machines built for fairly basic jobs are becoming surprisingly expensive. Someone looking for a simple PC to handle browsing, documents, streaming, video calls, or even sit beside a TV as a small media machine can easily end up spending far more than expected.

Right in the middle of this mess, Acemagic has started selling its Kron K5, a compact Windows 11 Pro mini PC that was first introduced in June. The 256GB model is currently available on Amazon for $379.99 after a 30% introductory discount, while the 512GB version drops to $399.99. It uses Intel’s Core 3 304, an entry-level Wildcat Lake processor with five cores and five threads, paired with 12GB of LPDDR5 memory.

12GB is a welcome sight on a cheap PC

The processor itself is modest, but the 12GB of RAM is notable at this price. Entry-level PCs still commonly arrive with 8GB, which can become limiting once several browser tabs and applications are running at the same time. Storage starts at 256GB, although Acemagic provides an M.2 slot for expansion. The memory is soldered, so the 12GB cannot be upgraded later.

The K5 measures 5.05 x 5.05 x 1.61 inches, making it small enough for a crowded desk or a setup where the PC needs to stay out of the way. A machine this size could also work beside a television for streaming, local media playback, browsing, or other lightweight Windows tasks.

Acemagic did not skimp on the ports

There are six USB-A ports, a 20Gbps USB-C port, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.4, 2.5Gb Ethernet, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The K5 can drive up to three 4K 60Hz displays and also includes Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.

The $379.99 price is promotional rather than permanent. Acemagic normally lists the 256GB version at $549.99, and it has not said how long the 30% discount will remain available. At its current price, however, the K5 lands in an increasingly thin part of the PC market.