This week we went to MWC and were treated to major launches from Nothing and Apple, including the Apple MacBook Neo.
There’s a lot of news coming from the tech world this week, so we had to replace the usual seven-story ICYMI with nine articles, so we don’t have time to drag on this introduction.
9. We reviewed the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Samsung has pulled off an interesting trick with its Galaxy S26 Ultra. It’s not a reinvention and, at first glance, it could be confused with the S25 Ultra. However, it made key updates to lenses, image processing, design, materials, and raw power that should please most Galaxy fans (all without increasing the price). The new phone is also overloaded with AI, but certainly makes the best use of the onboard Gemini. However, it’s two other innovations that put the S26 Ultra above all other Androids: the privacy display and the super stable horizontal hold. The first is the first hardware-based privacy screen for smartphones, and the second, well, you have to try this “gimbal in your smartphone” to believe it.
8. ChatGPT was canceled due to its agreement with the Pentagon
Could ChatGPT one day power autonomous killing machines? That’s the question many are asking after OpenAI signed a deal with the Pentagon after Anthropic’s Claude was called a “supply chain risk” for making that one of two red lines in his rejected version of a similar deal.
OpenAI says it shares Anthropic’s belief that AI should not make the decision to kill a person, nor be used for mass surveillance of US citizens, but leaks suggest its agreement with the Pentagon is a bit looser than Anthropic’s would have been – with OpenAI’s version saying the Pentagon must follow the law and its internal guidelines, both of which could be changed by US government and Pentagon officials in the future.
As a result, users abandoned ChatGPT in droves and switched to Anthropic’s AI, which appears to be a ringing endorsement of its AI ethics. But since Anthropic is reportedly in talks to strike a deal with the Pentagon, we will after all have to wait and see if it also compromises.
7. Somehow the Xbox came back
If you told us that the Xbox Series
Three weeks after Asha Sharma replaced Phil Spencer as Xbox CEO, he unveiled new hardware called Project Helix. He explained that “Project Helix will lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games”, suggesting that it will be a hybrid PC console similar to Valve’s upcoming Steam Machine. This could also explain why Sony is abandoning its plans to release PlayStation games on PC; Xbox may not care where you play its titles, but Sony clearly doesn’t want you to be able to enjoy its games on Xbox consoles.
Little is known about Helix at the moment, but the fact that he’s coming is enough for now.
6. Nothing has made great headphones more
Nothing just revealed its second pair of headphones, and it’s something of a miracle. The Nothing Headphone (a) is much cheaper than its first pair, the Headphone (1), but is somehow a better pair of headphones. The sound is bigger and more fun, the battery life is so long that it’s basically the best headset you can buy, and the design is much less controversial.
Despite all the improvements, they are half the price of previous headphones in the UK and is a third cheaper in the US. They represent the platonic ideal of what you’d expect from a follow-up to a product that was a bit of a dud and could be among the best headphones of the year.
5. Nothing released a new budget phone, and it’s a success
We’ve reviewed the Nothing Phone (4a), the latest budget device from one of the sleekest tech brands on the market. In our four-star review, we were delighted with the (4a’s) remarkable look, which includes a fancy new glyph bar and a range of eye-catching colorways.
But this model is much more than a pretty face. Its Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 processor offers very solid performance indeed, and its simplified user interface is a pleasure to use. The (4a) also offers a higher resolution, brighter screen, and larger battery than its predecessor. It’s not quite perfect, though – we had some doubts about the camera quality, and it would have been nice to see wireless charging on board.
4. We saw the best of MWC
Another year, another Mobile World Congress; This year’s MWC was, as always, packed with mobile technology and we scoured it all to find the best in show.
Honor, Nothing and Samsung have impressed us with their smartphones, including the Honor Magic V6 – the thinnest new foldable ever – and the still fun and affordable Nothing Phone 4(a).
There have also been some exciting concepts that may never see the light of day but are nonetheless award-worthy, like the Lenovo ThinkBook Modular PC Concept.
3. The mid-range iPhone 17e has arrived to battle the Pixel 10a
It may lack the novelty and dazzle of the MacBook Neo, but the iPhone 17e might just be the most spectacularly sensible thing Apple announced this week. The mid-range phone is a modest update, with an A19 chip, a new C1X modem and MagSafe charging as the main improvements over the 16th.
But these quality of life improvements all support the main headline here: the iPhone 17e costs the same as its predecessor, starting at $599 / £599 / AU$999. That’s a pretty good deal for users who don’t mind missing out on an ultra-wide camera, and it makes this phone a serious rival to the slightly cheaper Google Pixel 10a.
2. The iPad Air, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro have all been refreshed
It’s been a huge week for Apple’s launches – and while the MacBook Neo is the only real new thing, we’ve also had spec changes for three of its most popular products. The iPad Air M4 is actually last year’s M3 model with a new chip (30% faster, apparently) and more modern connectivity, including Wi-Fi 7.
And if you’re in the market for a new MacBook, good on you for waiting until March. The MacBook Air M5 now features Apple’s latest core chip, and it might just be the world’s best all-around laptop (if we can forgive it that small price hike).
Finally, the MacBook Pro is now available with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, and even comes with 1TB of storage as standard, although you may want to shield your eyes from its price. The M5 Max version starts at $3,599 / £3,599 / AU$5,799) – that’s the same as six MacBook Neos.
1. Apple revealed the US$599 MacBook Neo
It’s been a rumor for months, but it still came as a surprise when Apple revealed its cheapest MacBook ever this week. The MacBook Neo is a fun and colorful Chromebook rival that runs on an A18 Pro chip – and it starts at just $599 / £599 / AU$899.
We haven’t yet fully tested the Neo to see how it performs, but our first impressions were good. In fact, we’ve already called it the “most important product of 2026” so far, mainly because it landed against a backdrop of a RAM pricing crisis and a dearth of compelling Chromebook competitors. May it also be one of best the products of the year remain to be seen.
