Tech
Sony’s New WF-1000XM6 Earbuds Just Jumped to the Top of My Best Earbuds List
Pros
- Completely redesigned with upgraded components and slightly better fit than XM5
- Top-notch sound that’s accurate, well-balanced and natural
- Excellent noise-canceling and voice-calling performance with 8 microphones (4 in each bud)
- Decent battery life
Cons
- Pretty pricey
- Included eartips may not be a good match for all ears
- Android-only spatial audio features
When I first heard that Sony was coming out with new sixth-generation 1000X earbuds, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Companies like Bose and Apple have basically stuck with the same design — or a similar one anyway — for their flagship noise-canceling buds for the last few years. But Sony’s new WF-1000XM6 buds are completely overhauled inside and out and look nothing like the models that preceded them.
The end result is impressive: While expensive at $330, the WF-1000XM6 not only features great sound and excellent noise canceling, but their voice-calling performance is also top-notch. Are they the best noise-canceling earbuds out there right now? Aside from a caveat or two, I’d say so, though the AirPods Pro 3 remain a safer bet for Apple users from a fit and features standpoint (not to mention a lower price tag).
The WF-1000XM6’s design shift
Both the buds and their case are a little plain-looking. I’m OK with that, and from a practical standpoint, I liked that the case is flat on both its top and bottom, making it easy to place down on a flat surface, such as a wireless charging pad.
The XM5s have a partially glossy finish, but these have a full matte finish, which I prefer. That said, they don’t have anything to distinguish them as the XM4s did with their eye-catching copper ring that served as a microphone housing.
Sony calls this color silver.
More intricately molded than your typical stemless buds, Sony says the new shape (11% slimmer overall than the XM5s and more aerodynamic to reduce wind noise) conforms better to the natural curves of your ears, and I agree with that. I also appreciated the little ridge along the top side of each bud that allows you to grip it better, so the bud is less likely to slip from your fingers when putting them in or taking them out.
The buds have touch controls that are nicely responsive and are equipped with ear-detection sensors that pause audio when you take a bud out of your ear and resume playback when you put it back in. They’re IPX4 splashproof and seem fine for gym use, though I probably wouldn’t recommend them for running because I wasn’t certain they’d stay in my ears with a lot of jostling.
The buds now have eight microphones (four in each bud) instead of six.
Like a lot of high-end buds, they’re a little beefy and will stick out of your ears a bit. That didn’t really bother me. But once again, I can’t say I was thrilled with Sony’s included eartips, which are the same firm foam tips that were included with the XM5s. I was able to get a fairly secure fit with them, but I didn’t get a truly tight seal, according to the seal test in Sony’s SoundConnect app for iOS and Android. I didn’t find the tips super comfortable, either, so I went with a pair of large-size silicone tips from another set of buds I’d tested (I favor tips from Sennheiser and Bowers & Wilkins, which are wider and more rounded). With the tip change, sound quality and noise-canceling performance improved noticeably, which makes me wonder why Sony doesn’t include more tip options.
To be clear, many people should get a good fit from one of the included tips. But my ears fall into the 10% to 20% of ears that just aren’t a great match for Sony’s tips. And, as you may have read or heard me say too many times, it’s crucial to get a tight seal to get optimal sound quality and noise-canceling performance. That’s especially true of these buds because they deliver some real wow factor if you get a tight seal.
Sony’s tip on the left, my own on the right. Sound quality and noise-canceling performance improved when I swapped in my own tips and got a tight seal.
Upgraded components lead to better performance
Aside from the external makeover, the XM6s are upgraded on the inside with new drivers, a 3X more powerful QN3e chip with improved analog conversion technology, eight microphones — up from six — and an improved bone-conduction sensor that helps with voice-calling performance. The “HD Noise Canceling” QN3e processor is paired with Sony’s Integrated Processor V2, which now supports 32-bit processing compared with 24-bit processing. The same V2 chip is also found in Sony’s XM5 earbuds and its flagship WH-1000XM6 over-ear headphones.
Sony says the new XM6 buds feature 25% “further reduction in noise” than the XM5s, with gains made in the mid-to-high frequency range. I spent a lot of time comparing the XM6s to other leading premium noise-canceling earbuds, including Apple’s excellent AirPods Pro 3, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) and Bowers and Wilkins’ Pi8. Both the AirPods Pro 3 and QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds have superb noise canceling. Sony says the XM6s have the best noise canceling for earbuds right now, based on international testing standards.
I compared the WF-1000XM6 buds to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen).
Alas, I don’t have access to expensive technical equipment to test noise-canceling performance, so I have to rely on a few less scientific tests, including comparing how well each set of buds muffles the noisy HVAC unit in my kitchen and wearing the buds in the noisy streets of New York and on the subway. In the HVAC test, they were all really close, though I thought the Sony had a very slight edge.
In the streets of New York, it’s really hard to sense that the noise canceling is any better than what you get with those competing models. All three are very close, and your experience could vary with the quality of the seal you get. It’s quite possible that these Sonys are able to muffle a wider range of frequencies with slightly more vigor, but they still can’t muffle higher frequencies as well as lower frequencies. That means you can still hear people’s voices and higher-pitched noises, albeit at significantly reduced volume levels.
I do think Sony has also made some improvements to its transparency mode. Apple’s is still the gold standard, but Sony’s now sounds quite natural at its highest setting. Previously, you had to play around with the level to find the most natural setting (the sound from the outside world was actually augmented at the highest setting).
Sony also now has an auto ambient mode that’s similar to Apple’s Adaptive Audio mode, which automatically adjusts the level of ambient sound filtered in, depending on the level of noise around you. Plus, you can toggle on a voice pass-through mode that filters in voices while suppressing ambient noise.
The buds have a little ridge on their side that help you get a better grip on them when putting them in you ears and taking them out.
Superior sound
When it comes to sound, both the AirPods Pro 3 and Bose QC Ultras sound excellent, with the Ultras sounding smooth and clean across a variety of music genres. Some people complained that the AirPods Pro 3’s sound was a little too aggressive (not enough warmth) compared with the AirPods Pro 2’s, with more dynamic bass and treble and slightly recessed mids. I preferred the AirPods Pro 3’s sound — to my ears, it has a little more clarity and definition, and I was OK with the more energetic bass. But everybody has their own sound preferences, and you can experience some listening fatigue if you feel the treble has too much sizzle or the bass kicks too hard in the wrong way.
I think the XM6’s sound is better and more special than both the AirPods Pro 3’s and QC Ultra’s sound. Music sounds more accurate and natural with better bass extension, overall clarity and refinement, along with a wide soundstage where all the instruments seem well-placed. Additionally, I found the XM6s came across slightly more dynamic and bold-sounding than the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 buds, which also feature accurate, natural sound for Bluetooth earbuds.
As I said, all the models mentioned here sound impressive, but the tonal quality varies a bit. While companies often talk about how their buds and headphones deliver audio the way artists intended you to hear it, some do it better than others and are able to live up to audiophile standards — or close to them anyway. Such is the case for the WF-1000X6 buds.
I tested them with an iPhone 16 Pro and a Google Pixel 9, listening to a variety of music genres on Spotify using the lossless audio setting. They handled everything with aplomb (virtually no distortion) and didn’t cause any listening fatigue. My connection was also rock solid with no Bluetooth hiccups. While I didn’t experience, any major connectivity issues with the XM5s, some people apparently did, and Sony says it equipped the XM6s with a new wireless antenna that’s 1.5x larger than XM5’s antenna to improve the wireless connection, particularly in crowded signal areas (there are certain intersections in new York City that have a lot of wireless interference and can cause Bluetooth hiccups).
Testing the WF-1000XM6 earbuds on the bone-chilling streets of New York.
Top-notch voice-calling performance
They’re also hard to beat for voice-calling performance, which I also grade an A. Callers said my voice sounded mostly natural and clear, and they didn’t really hear any background noise when I wasn’t speaking (and only a little when I did speak). If you want to hear a test, check out the one I did with fellow CNET editor Josh Goldman in my video review of the XM6 buds.
It’s worth noting that the buds have a side-tone feature, so you can hear your voice in the buds when you’re talking. And like previous 1000X models, these have Sony’s speak-to-chat feature, which lowers the volume of your audio and goes into ambient mode when you start to have a conversation with someone.
Watch this: Sony WF-1000XM6 Earbuds Review: Supreme Performance, Subdued Design
Also, Sony has redesigned the venting of the earbuds to increase airflow and reduce internal noises such as “footsteps and chewing sound.” I did notice some improvements there (yes, a lot of people don’t like having their ears feel occluded and hearing their footsteps).
As far as audio codecs go, the buds support AAC, SBC and LDAC as well as multipoint Bluetooth pairing, which allows pairing to two devices to the buds simultaneously. Sony says the buds are “ready for LE Audio,” which means that at some point they should support the LC3 audio codec and Auracast broadcast audio with a firmware update.
Sony has continued to streamline its SoundConnect app for iOS and Android, so it’s a little more user-friendly, though there are still a lot of settings to play around with, including scene-based listening settings and various equalizer settings.
Battery life is rated at up to 8 hours at moderate volume levels, with an extra two charges in the case. That’s a little better than what competing models offer and, again, the case supports wireless charging.
Sony WF-1000XM6 final thoughts
The XM6s are noticeably improved across the board from the XM5s, which I still like. And while these buds are certainly expensive, they’re pretty hard to beat from a performance standpoint across all the key areas, including sound quality, noise canceling and voice-calling, which is why I’ve awarded them an Editors’ Choice.
The one thing I can’t tell you is just how well they’ll fit your ears. While the AirPods Pro 3 don’t offer quite as good sound quality, they’re less expensive and are in some ways a safer pick for Apple users, as their lightweight stem design tends to fit a wide range of ears comfortably. They also have more features overall, including a Hearing Aid mode, Apple’s new Live Translation feature and personalized spatial audio (Sony’s spatial audio features are Android-only).
That said, if you’re able to get a good fit with a comfortable seal, the XM6s are truly impressive earbuds. They may just be the best out there at the moment.
The technology is based on a vertically integrated design that bonds two chips into a single stack. By tightly coupling these silicon layers, Broadcom’s engineers aim to increase data transfer speeds while reducing energy consumption – a critical advantage as AI workloads become more computationally intensive.
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Bright Data operates a global proxy network designed to collect publicly available web content, and customers are voluntarily joining the network so that they can spare a few dollars on their TV viewing experience. According to a recent report, code associated with Bright Data has appeared in certain smart TV…
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A global shortage is responsible for every electronics and computer manufacturer in the world — including Apple — paying twice as much for RAM and flash storage as it did in 2025, and 10 times more than it paid in 2020. Here’s why there is little hope of that improving anytime soon.
Memory is in short supply globally — Image credit: SK Hynix
Apple has historically been able to closely control the cost of its components. Buying in huge numbers, from multiple suppliers has historically given an economy of scale that made Apple a sought-after customer for everything from display makers to storage vendors.
But that dynamic has changed. A global shortage of key components like memory and storage has seen the price of both skyrocket. Apple is far from the only company impacted.
Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums
For 2026, the comparison between baseline iPhone and Android flagships comes down to two phones that are closer than they’ve ever been — the Galaxy S26 at $899 and the iPhone 17 at $799. Same form factor, same screen size, very different philosophies.
We’ve broken down everything that actually moves the needle — design, display, performance, cameras, battery, and software — because the right phone isn’t the one with the longer spec sheet. It’s the one that fits how you actually use it.
Price and availability
The iPhone 17 kicks off at $799 with 256GB baked in from the start — no arguing with that. The Galaxy S26 lands at $899 for 256GB. Last year’s S25 was $859, so Samsung snuck in a $40 increase, and the ongoing memory shortage got the blame.
So there’s a $100 gap sitting between these two phones right out the gate. Whether the S26 justifies it over the iPhone 17 — or whether Apple’s just quietly winning on value before the comparison even starts — is what the rest of this piece is for.
Design
Pick up the S26 and the iPhone 17 back-to-back and the first thing you think is: did these two companies share a blueprint? Heights are dead-even at 149.6mm. Width differs by 0.2mm — which doesn’t make a different in real life.
Apple’s phone is thicker at 7.95 mm versus Samsung’s 7.2 mm, and heavier too, tipping the scales at 177 grams against the S26’s 167 grams. What gives away Samsung’s entry-level flagship is its boxy corners, which are immediately recognizable against the rounded corners on the iPhone 17.
Both phones use aluminum frames, so nobody’s winning a materials fight there. The glass is where they split — Gorilla Glass Victus 2 front and back on the S26, and Apple’s Ceramic Shield 2 on the iPhone 17’s front, which Apple says scratches three times less easily than regular glass.
Dunking either one is fine either way; IP68 on both. The S26 comes in Black, Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, and White — pick one and people will notice. The iPhone 17 gives you Black, White (my personal favorite), Mist Blue, Sage, and Lavender — tones quiet enough that your phone practically whispers.
Display
Both screens measure 6.3 inches, so that argument ends before it starts. Where things get interesting is everything underneath that number.
The iPhone 17 sports a 2622 x 1206 pixel OLED panel at 460 ppi, sharper than the Galaxy S26’s panel, which maxes out at FHD+ with 2340 x 1080 pixels (411 ppi). The S26’s display is fine, looks good, and frankly most people won’t lose sleep over it. Side-by-side though, the difference shows (I hope Samsung sees it as well).
The S26 peaks at 2,600 nits outdoors, which handles most sunny days well enough. The iPhone 17 pushes to 3,000 nits — and upon using it side by side with the Galaxy S25 (which shares its peak brightness with the S26), I found the iPhone to be noticeably brighter, especially under direct sunlight.
Both do 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rates, so scrolling feels equally fluid on either one. Then there’s always-on display — both phones keep your notifications visible without fully waking the screen, which sounds minor until you’ve used it for a week and then picked up a phone without it.
While I’ve grown accustomed to the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 17, you might not like it in the first glance, especially if you’re upgrading from an Android phone with a punch-hole camera — that’s something to keep in mind as well.
Performance
Specs-wise, Samsung shows up with more — Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, 3nm, 12GB RAM. Apple brings the A19 and 8GB. On a spec sheet that reads as a clean Samsung win, but phones aren’t spec sheets.
Benchmarks tell a messier story. The S26 pulls ahead when multiple cores are working together, which is relevant for heavy multitasking. The scores are almost similar in the single-core test, which is what your phone actually leans on for most things — launching apps, typing, switching between tasks. All-in-all, both phones offer similar (read excellent) day-to-day performance.
The RAM gap is where it gets more practical. Twelve gigabytes means more apps stay open in the background without reloading. If your phone use involves juggling a lot at once, the S26 has more headroom. And yes, both are perfectly capable of handing the most demanding games at high frame rates, it’s just the matter of whether the developer has included support for it or not.
I’ve been using the iPhone 17 for about six months now, and I haven’t, for once, felt that the phone doesn’t offer enough CPU or GPU performance, especially when needed. That’s the thing with top-tier mobile chipsets; they’ve got more horsepower than most people can use upfront, but it helps maintaining the performance in the long-term.
Operating System
The S26 runs One UI 8.5 on Android 16 — the most put-together version of Samsung’s skin yet. Rounder, cleaner, and stuffed with settings you’ll spend a Sunday afternoon exploring.
Galaxy AI actually pulls weight now: Now Nudge suggests replies by reading your screen context, Call Screening stops unknown callers before your phone buzzes, and Audio Eraser finally works inside YouTube and Instagram, not just Samsung’s own apps. Bixby gets Perplexity as backup for the questions it used to fumble.
iOS 26 got a full face-lift with Liquid Glass — translucent menus and icons that split opinion pretty cleanly between “stunning” and “bit much.” Apple Intelligence handles real-time translation across calls, Messages, and FaceTime, though it’s not as useful as Galaxy AI. The ecosystem perks, however, are still superior.
Samsung commits to seven years of operating system and security updates, while Apple usually provides around five to six years of software support.
Cameras
The S26 has a 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, and a dedicated 10MP 3x telephoto. The iPhone 17 runs a 48MP main at f/1.6, a 48MP ultrawide, and a 2x “zoom” that’s just the main sensor being cropped — not a real telephoto lens.
Daylight shots on both look great, full stop. Where they differ is taste. Samsung cranks up the saturation and contrast — your photos come out looking like they’ve already been edited, ready to post. Apple mostly shows you what was there, i.e., the camera reproduces natural, neutral colors.
After dark, the iPhone quietly holds its own. Apple’s Night Mode has been one of the best in the business for years (along with the f/1.6 aperture). Zoom goes the other way. A real 3x optical lens on the S26 versus Apple’s cropped 2x is a clear hardware win for Samsung.
The most unique thing about the iPhone 17’s camera system is its selfie shooter — an 18MP (f/1.9) square-shaped camera sensor that can capture super wide selfies in multiple aspect ratios. Apple surely needs to bump up the resolution for the visual area the sensor covers, but even so, Samsung’s 12MP sensor is no match for it.
Video on both is strong at 4K/60fps with good stabilization. Apple’s color science gives it a slight edge in footage quality, plus the sensor-shift stabilization works like a charm, but the S26 shoots 8K if that’s something you need. Most people don’t, but the option exists.
Battery
The S26 has a bigger tank — 4,300mAh versus the iPhone 17’s 3,692mAh — and Samsung claims 31 hours of video playback to Apple’s 30. One hour in it, with a notably smaller cell on Apple’s side. That gap says more about the A19’s efficiency than it does about the S26’s battery.
Charging is where iPhone pulls ahead. With 40W wired charging, the handset reaches 50% in roughly 25 minutes. The S26 still sits at 25W — same as its last two predecessors. Wireless is where the gap reopens. The iPhone 17 does 25W via MagSafe; the S26 base model caps at 15W standard wireless.
Conclusion
The S26 makes a stronger case on paper. More RAM, a bigger battery, a real telephoto lens, 8K video, and One UI 8.5 giving you enough customization to keep a hobbyist busy for weeks. It’s the better phone for power users, Android loyalists, and anyone who shoots a lot of zoom photos or wants their phone to last the full day.
The iPhone 17 wins on the things that are harder to put in a spec sheet. Faster charging, better low-light photography, smoother sustained performance under load, the refreshing iOS 26 experience, and an ecosystem so tightly integrated it borders on a lifestyle choice. If you own a Mac, iPad, or AirPods, the iPhone 17 doesn’t just work well — it works together in a way the S26 can’t replicate.
Netflix’s mystery series Wednesday reinvigorated the Addams Family for the modern age, becoming one of the streaming giant’s most-watched shows. It’s only natural that Netflix keep the hype running with Wednesday‘s upcoming third season.
There’s a lot we can expect to see from Wednesday after season 2. It’s unclear what Wednesday and her peers will encounter in the next season, but what makes the show so fun is watching the mystery unfold. In all fairness, we don’t like waiting years for more episodes. Don’t fret. We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know about Wednesday season 3.
What’s the story of Wednesday season 3?
Netflix Tudum wrote that in season 3, “a new wave of insidious interlopers will be darkening the doors of Nevermore Academy.” Wednesday showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar said to Tudum that the third season will also “excavate some long-rotting Addams Family secrets.”
“Our goal for Season 3 is the same as it is for every season: to make it the best season of Wednesday we possibly can,” said Gough. “We want to continue digging deeper into our characters while expanding the world of Nevermore and Wednesday.”
These statements fit with what we saw as Wednesday left Nevermore with Uncle Fester and Thing in search of her alpha werewolf bestie, Enid. In this ending to season 2, Wednesday had a vision of her Aunt Ophelia, imprisoned by Grandmama Frump and writing in blood, “Wednesday Must Die,” suggesting some of the Addams family’s skeletons will come out of the closet.
When will Wednesday season 3 come out?
Since Wednesday season 3 is so early into production, there is no release date set at this time. We can’t see into the future like Wednesday Addams, but it is likely she will return in 2027. Though the second season premiered three years after the first, the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strike stalled production for several months. Barring any future delays, the wait for season 3 should last a total of two years rather than three.
When and where is Wednesday season 3 filming?
Production for Wednesday season 3 started in February 2026, according to Netflix Tudum. Like with season 2, filming will take place near Dublin.
Who will return in Wednesday season 3?
As usual, Wednesday will feature a vast, quirky cast of characters in season 3, including members of the Addams Family and Wednesday’s classmates at Nevermore Academy.
- Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams
- Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams
- Luis Guzman as Gomez Addams
- Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams
- Joana Lumley as Grandmama Hester Frump
- Joy Sunday as Bianca Barclay
- Georgie Farmer as Ajax Tanaka
- Moosa Mostafa as Eugene Ottinger
- Evie Templeton as Agnes DeMille
- Victor Dorobantu as Thing
- Winona Ryder as Tabitha
- Emma Myers as Enid Sinclair
- Hunter Doohan as Tyler Galpin
- Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester
- Billie Piper as Isadora Capri
- Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo as Santiago
- Oscar Morgan as Atticus
- Kennedy Moyer as Daisy
- Noah Taylor as Cyrus
- Chris Sarandon as Balthazar
- Eva Green as Ophelia Frump
Who’s new to Wednesday season 3?
Just like season 2, Wednesday‘s third season will welcome plenty of new characters to Nevermore Academy. Actors joining the cast next season include Winona Ryder (Stranger Things), Chris Sarandon (Dog Day Afternoon, The Princess Bride), Noah Taylor (Peaky Blinders, Game of Thrones), Oscar Morgan (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms), and Kennedy Moyer (Task, Roofman).
In an interview with Netflix Tudum, Gough and Millar shared a statement praising Eva Green and her performance as Wednesday’s Aunt Ophelia:
“Eva Green has always brought an exhilarating, singular presence to the screen — elegant, haunting, and beautifully unpredictable. Those qualities make her the perfect choice for Aunt Ophelia. We’re excited to see how she transforms the role and expands Wednesday’s world.”
Green also said to Tudum, “I’m thrilled to join the woefully twisted world of Wednesday as Aunt Ophelia. This show is such a deliciously dark and witty world, I can’t wait to bring my own touch of cuckoo-ness to the Addams family.”
Winona Ryder’s casting is also particularly noteworthy. The actor has frequently starred as a main player in producer Tim Burton’s films. Most recently, she starred alongside Jenna Ortega in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Whether or not Ryder’s new character will support Wednesday on her journey, it will be exciting to see the former reignite her on-screen chemistry with Ortega.
Are there any trailers for Wednesday season 3?
On February 23, Netflix shared a fiendishly flamboyant video announcing that production for Wednesday season 3, all while revealing the cast. The trailer also featured a “?” to label one of the season’s cast members, suggesting this mystery character plays an important role that would spoil the story.
Hundreds of employees at Google and OpenAI have urging their companies to in its standoff with the Pentagon over military applications for AI tools like Claude.
The letter, titled “We Will Not Be Divided,” calls on the leadership of both companies to “put aside their differences and stand together to continue to refuse the Department of War’s current demands for permission to use our models for domestic mass surveillance and autonomously killing people without human oversight.” These are two lines that Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei should not be crossed by his or any other AI company.
As of publication, the letter has over 450 signatures, almost 400 of which come from Google employees and the rest from OpenAI. Currently, roughly 50 percent of all participants have chosen to attach their names to the cause, with the rest remaining anonymous. All are verified as current employees of these companies. The original organizers of the letter aren’t Google or OpenAI employees; they say are unaffiliated with any AI company, political party or advocacy group.
The open letter is the latest development in the saga between Anthropic and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who to label the company a “supply chain risk” if it did not agree to withdraw certain guardrails for classified work. The Pentagon has also been in talks with Google and OpenAI about using their models for classified work, with earlier this week. The letter argues the government is “trying to divide each company with fear that the other will give in.”
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told his employees on Friday that the ChatGPT maker will draw the same red lines as Anthropic, according to an internal memo seen by . He told on the same day that he doesn’t “personally think the Pentagon should be threatening DPA against these companies.”
Tech
Smartphone Market To Decline 13% in 2026, Marking the Largest Drop Ever Due To the Memory Shortage Crisis
An anonymous reader shares a report: Worldwide smartphone shipments are forecast to decline 12.9% year-on-year (YoY) in 2026 to 1.1 billion units, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. This decline will bring the smartphone market to its lowest annual shipment volume in more than a decade. The current forecast represents a sharp decline from our November forecast amid the intensifying memory shortage crisis.
According to a new report from market research firm International Data Corporation, global smartphone shipments are expected to total around 1.1 billion units this year, down from 1.26 billion in 2025. This marks a significant downward revision from the company’s November 2025 forecast, which projected a decline of between 0.9…
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Rather than relying on a single model, Perplexity AI’s Computer system functions as an orchestrator across multiple models. Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.6 serves as the primary reasoning engine, while Gemini handles deep research tasks. Nano Banana generates images, Veo 3.1 produces video, Grok executes lightweight, speed-optimized tasks, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT…
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Loewe has announced the Vega, a new range of compact 4K Ultra HD smart TVs available in 32 and 43-inch sizes.
The Vega sits below Loewe’s flagship Stellar OLED line, which spans 42 to 97 inches and starts at £1,699, but uses VA LCD panels with full-array Direct LED backlighting rather than OLED, a technology choice that allows Loewe to hit higher peak brightness figures across a smaller and more affordable chassis.
The 43-inch model carries 390 LED dimming zones and reaches a peak luminance of 880 cd/m², while the 32-inch version uses 260 dimming zones and reaches 550 cd/m², both figures sitting above what most competing LCD televisions at this screen size typically deliver to living rooms in bright daylight conditions.
Both models support the full range of HDR formats, including Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10, and HLG, with the Vega marking the first time Loewe has offered a 4K Ultra HD panel in a 32-inch format, a size that most manufacturers continue to supply only in Full HD resolution.
The integrated soundbar delivers 60 watts of Class-D amplification developed and tuned by Loewe’s in-house audio team, supporting Dolby Atmos and connecting to external sound systems through HDMI eARC, a configuration that competes more directly with premium soundbar bundles than with the basic speakers typically built into televisions at this screen size.
Smart features and connectivity
Loewe’s os9 smart platform, built on the VIDAA operating system, handles streaming access across Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, and Apple TV, with Apple AirPlay, Miracast, DLNA, and Matter connectivity expanding the Vega’s integration with both Apple and broader smart home ecosystems.
The 43-inch model carries two HDMI 2.1 ports supporting 4K at up to 120Hz alongside VRR and ALLM for low-latency gaming, while the 32-inch version supports 4K at up to 60Hz through its HDMI 2.1 ports, with both models also offering cloud gaming access through Blacknut and Boosteroid via the VIDAA platform.
A brushed aluminium frame, rotatable metal table stand with chrome finish, and integrated cable management with magnetic rear covers reflect the same design discipline Loewe applies across its higher-end OLED TV range, placing the Vega closer in aesthetic approach to Bang and Olufsen than to mass-market LCD televisions at comparable screen sizes.
The Loewe Vega 32-inch is priced at £1650 and the 43-inch at £1900, with both models available through selected Loewe retail partners from March 2026.
For a closer look at how the Vega’s LCD panel compares against the best screens on the market, our guide to the best OLED TVs rounds up the top picks from every major brand.
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