Month: February 2022

Walt Disney Studios’ answer to an international health crisis, what was Disney Plus Premier Access, and what has become of it now?

Disney Plus Premier Access arrived on the House of Mouse’s very own streaming platform back in September 2020. It allowed those eager to watch the latest cinematic release from Walt Disney Studios from the comfort of their own home at a premium during the the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw movie theaters around the world shut their doors for months on end.

Sign up to Disney Plus now

Initially rolled out with the release of the live action version of Mulan, we thereafter saw the same treatment for a number of titles including Emma Stone’s portrayal in Cruella, and the highly-anticipated arrival of Marvel’s Black Widow.

The last Premier Access title to land on the service was The Rock’s Jungle Cruise on July 30, before its subsequent arrival on the main Disney Plus platform for Disney Plus Day months later.

With movie theaters back open, while there’s been no official word from Disney, it seems as though the potential for watching the latest and best Disney Plus movies from the comfort of your own home through Disney Plus Premier Access is a thing of the past.

What was Disney Plus Premier access?

Disney Plus Premier Access went some way towards recreating the cinema experience. Brand new titles fresh from Walt Disney Studios were made available on Disney Plus day-and-date with their theatrical release, meaning you could enjoy them from the comfort of your home for an additional one-off fee. 

Not only could you share the excitement of the latest big-budget film with family or friends for $30 (the price of two movie theater tickets), but Premier titles were available to watch in stunning UHD or HDR quality and with Dolby Audio sound.

Subscribers could also watch the movie time and time again. That in addition to enjoying the latest Disney extravaganza months before it was made available to regular Disney Plus subscribers.

(Image credit: Disney)

What could I watch on Disney Plus Premier Access?

Jungle Cruise was the fifth and final title to arrive on Disney Plus Premier Access on July 30, 2021, not long after Black Widow on July 9, where subscribers could finally learn more about the enigmatic Natasha Romanoff and her making as a lethal spy. 

Previously to that, Cruella dropped on Disney Plus’ PVOD on May 28, arriving on August 28 to watch with a regular Disney Plus subscription.

Animated fantasy-adventure Raya and the Last Dragon was the platform’s second Disney Plus Premier Access title, released on March 5, with the advanced viewing window ending on May 4. The film arrived for all Disney Plus subscribers to watch on June 4. 

Disney Plus Premier Access films in full

Mulan (Sep 4 – Nov 4 2020)
Raya and the Last Dragon (March 5 – June 4 2021)
Cruella (May 28 – August 27 2021)
Black Widow (Released July 9 – October 6 2021)
Jungle Cruise (Released July 30 – November 12 2021)

How much was Disney Plus Premier Access?

Depending on where you were around the world, Disney Plus Premier Access titles cost USD $29.99 / GBP £19.99 / AUD $34.99 / EUR €21.99.

The Disney Plus price was something worth factoring in. A monthly subscription at the time was USD $7.99 / GBP £7.99 / AUD $11.99 / EUR €8.99.

Here’s the best Disney Plus shows to watch

Read More 

There’s growing evidence that Google is working on a foldable Pixel phone. Here’s what we’ve heard so far.

Rumors of a Google Pixel Fold have been swirling for several years now, but the phone may finally be about to see the light of day. If we see this phone soon, it could be one of the coolest phones we see this year. 

At the moment, only a few companies are gung-ho for foldable phones, and Samsung is dominating the market with handsets like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. Oppo recently entered the fray with one of the best foldable phones, the Oppo Find N2 Flip, but both brands might soon have some serious competition.

Leaks suggest Google’s first foldable will be called the Pixel Fold or the Pixel Notepad, but neither name is set in stone, so for now we’re mostly referring to the device as the Google Pixel Fold.

We have heard some details about its possible design, screen, camera and other specs, all of which you’ll find below. We’ve also included information on a possible release date, which most rumors suggest could be in early to mid-2023, as well as leaks about the price.

As soon as we hear anything else about the Google Pixel Fold, we’ll add it to this article, so make sure to check back regularly if you want to stay up to date.

Cut to the chase

What is it? Google’s first foldable phone

When is it out? Possibly May 2023

How much will it cost? Possibly $1,799 (around £1,520 / AU$2,660)

Google Pixel Fold release date and price

Early leaks suggested that the Pixel Fold would land in late 2022, but of course that didn’t happen.

A more recent leak though (from a different source) suggests that while a late 2022 launch was apparently planned, the Pixel Fold now wouldn’t land before 2023. Another release date rumor backs that up, saying the phone could land in Q1 (meaning between January and March) of 2023.

That said, the most recent release date rumor points to May 2023, so we might still be waiting a little while.

Possibly not too long though, because in late February 2023 a phone that might be the Pixel Fold was listed by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), and that usually happens quite close to launch.

We’ve also previously heard that the Pixel Fold has been canceled, so there’s a chance it won’t arrive at all. But that claim comes from Ross Young, who more recently has come back with one of the leaks above, saying that it’s now scheduled for Q1 2023 – so presumably either he was wrong before or Google has put it back on the table.

Indeed, the term “isPixel2022Foldable” has been spotted in Google code, suggesting that the phone is landing soon.

We’d also take all of these leaks with a pinch of salt, especially as some previous release date rumors have been wrong. For example, a report claimed that Google (among other companies) had purchased foldable phone screens from Samsung Display, and it went on to say that smartphones using these screens would launch in 2021.

The same site has more recently said the same thing again, and another leak regarding phones coming with screens from Samsung Display listed the Pixel Fold as launching in Q4 2021.

That of course didn’t happen, but it could simply be that the Pixel Fold has slipped all the way to 2023 as now seems to be the case.

As for what it might cost, one leak suggests a price of around $1,400 (roughly £1,040 / AU$1,960). That would make it a lot cheaper than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, but still expensive.

In fact though its price might be identical to the Galaxy Z Fold 4, with a more recent leak putting it at $1,799 (around £1,520 / AU$2,660).

Design and display

The main information about the Google Pixel Fold comes from a big leak, which included unofficial renders, some of which you can see below. While unofficial, these are apparently based on images and information supplied by a reliable source.

As you can see, the design here looks a lot like the Pixel 7 line when it’s folded shut, but with an overall form factor that’s like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold line.

The Pixel Fold is apparently clad in metal and glass, and is said to come in white and black shades only. It’s also apparently very heavy – more so the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 – and you can see there are large bezels above and below the main screen.

There’s also now been a hands-on with a dummy unit of the Pixel Fold, of the kind used by accessory makers.

Images from this can be seen below, and it revealed things like large bezels (which could be present to keep the price down), a 5.7mm thickness at the thinnest point, an 8.7mm thickness including the camera block, a less narrow form factor than Samsung’s phones, and a likely less visible crease too.

There’s also a report which claims that Google has ordered foldable OLED panels of around 7.6 inches from Samsung Display – a claim that we’ve now heard multiple times.

A more recent report – from @OnLeaks in collaboration with HowToiSolve – points to a 7.69-inch foldable screen and a 5.79-inch cover display.

They also claim the dimensions are 158.7 x 139.7 x 5.7mm (rising to 8.3mm including the rear camera bump) when unfolded, and included renders that look a lot like those above, one of which you can see below.

(Image credit: @Onleaks / @HowToiSolve)

Another leak suggests that the display will have a resolution of 2208 x 1840 pixels, and that it will offer up to 1,200 nits of brightness and a refresh rate that goes up to 120Hz as well. The same source points to overall dimensions of 123 x 148mm.

The SIM insertion process for the alleged Google Pixel Fold. (Image credit: 9to5Google)

That said, an animation found in Android 12L Beta 2 shows a foldable phone with a design more like the Oppo Find N – so short and wide rather than tall and narrow like the Z Fold 4.

You can see this animation above, and while it’s possible that this is just a generic animation, there’s also a chance that it shows the Pixel Fold.

Elsewhere, we’ve heard that the Pixel Fold’s cover display (its outer, non-foldable screen) might be 5.8 inches.

Beyond these leaks, we’ve also seen a Google patent which shows a screen that opens out to a tablet size, but then can additionally be stretched a little further, like the rollable phone concepts we’ve seen. This however looks ambitious for Google’s first foldable phone, so we’re not convinced it will have this design.

Patently Mobile has also spotted two additional Google Pixel foldable phone patents, one of which shows a fairly conventional clamshell design, while the other has two hinges, allowing it to form a Z-shape as it unfolds, and go from smartphone size to full tablet size.

So, Google seems to be experimenting with a lot of different foldable designs, but it’s likely that the company has gone with a Galaxy Z Fold-like design, detailed above.

Specs and features

A benchmark suggests the Pixel Fold will have the same Tensor G2 chipset as the Pixel 7 Pro, unsurprisingly, along with 12GB of RAM.

That said, the older original Tensor chipset has also been spotted on a benchmark for the Pixel Fold, which additionally mentions 12GB of RAM and Android 12, and we’ve elsewhere heard the Tensor chipset rumored too. These are older leaks though, so we’d think it’s likely that Google has upgraded it to the G2 by now.

Given that this chipset seems designed to make the most of the cameras on the Pixel 7 range, that could additionally mean the same cameras will be used too, but we’re not at all certain of that. If it does have those cameras, then you can expect either a dual-lens or triple-lens setup, with main, ultra-wide and possibly also telephoto (5x optical zoom) snappers.

However, another leak has pointed to different snappers, with the 12.2MP main camera from the Pixel 5, paired with the 12MP ultra-wide from the Pixel 6, and two 8MP selfie cameras (one on each screen). This is something we’ve now heard multiple times.

According to one source, we’re looking at a 64MP+12.2MP+10MP rear camera – so not all of the leaks and rumors are agreeing at the moment when it comes to the camera on the back of the Google Pixel Fold. As for the selfie cameras, they’re both apparently 9.5MP, while leaked renders (above) show a triple-lens rear camera.

There’s also a chance that the phone will have under-display cameras, as a Google patent for the tech has been found. That said, leaked images don’t suggest this.

As for its battery capacity, a recent report suggests the Google Pixel Fold will pack a larger battery than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, meaning we can expect a power source of at least 4,500mAh. No exact details about the phone’s battery size have been shared thus far, but we’re hearing that the figure will “still [be] well below” 5,000mAh. 

Beyond that, though, we don’t know anything about the specs of the Google Pixel foldable phone, but we can speculate a little. For one thing, it will probably run Android 13, but will certainly run whatever the latest Android version is at the time of its launch.

Going by the standard Pixel range, it will probably also have decent cameras, but perhaps fewer lenses than rival phones. We’d also expect the company’s foldable will support 5G.

Finally, a small tweak to the Google Camera software suggests that there is indeed a Pixel Fold on the way, and that Google is readying its own software for it.

Read More 

Here’s everything we know about Marvel Studios’ Secret Invasion on Disney Plus.

It looks like Secret Invasion‘s release date will remain a secret for a lot longer than we hoped. The upcoming Marvel TV series was supposed to launch in Q1 2023. Now, though, it’s only slated to arrive sometime this year. Sad faces all around.

Still, at least we know it’s coming to Disney Plus before the year is out. And, as it’s one of our most keenly anticipated Marvel Phase 5 projects, we’re happy to wait if Secret Invasion blows our proverbial socks off when it’s eventually released.

While we wait for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) TV show to make its debut, what do we know so far? In this guide, you’ll find more information on its potential release date, cast, story, how it’ll tie into other MCU projects, and more.

Potential spoilers follow for Secret Invasion. Full spoilers for other Marvel films and shows are also discussed.

Secret Invasion release date: what we know

Nick Fury gets his own MCU project with Secret Invasion. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Secret Invasion was expected to arrive in Q1 2023, with Marvel confirming as much during its San Diego Comic-Con 2022 panel. Since then, Secret Invasion‘s launch has been delayed, with the Disney Plus Originals website now listing it as “coming soon”. The show was absent from a recent Coming This Spring Disney Plus montage video on YouTube, too, meaning it won’t be released any time soon.

Marvel hasn’t revealed what’s behind the delay. But, with the studio re-evaluating how it releases its movies and TV shows – personally, we think Marvel has learned a big lesson from James Gunn’s new look DCU when it comes to announcing launch dates – amid other internal issues, it seems Secret Invasion‘s arrival has been pushed back to give it the attention it deserves.

So, when might the Nick Fury-led TV series land on our screens? Industry insider Alex P, who writes for credible MCU leaker website The Cosmic Circus, suggests it isn’t coming in May as previously rumored. Right now, then, your guess is as good as ours, but we’re hoping it’ll arrive before The Marvels flies into theaters in November. Secret Invasion is believed to tie into this Phase 5 film (more on why that’s the case shortly) so, if you pushed us for an answer, we’d say August or September are the most likely candidates.

Secret Invasion trailer

Secret Invasion‘s first trailer arrived in September 2022. It looks a tense espionage thriller in the mould of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, with its various characters – Nick Fury in particular – unsure of who they can trust. An exclusive scene featuring Fury and Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes – an extended sequence seen in the teaser – also debuted at D23 Expo 2022. 

With the series’ launch shunted back, it could be some time before a second trailer debuts. Stick with TechRadar for more details when we have them.

Secret Invasion cast

Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes will cameo in Secret Invasion. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Secret Invasion‘s cast is largely confirmed, but there’s no official word on who some actors are playing:

Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
Ben Mendolsohn as Talos
Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill
Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross
Don Cheadle as James ‘Rhodey’ Rhodes/War Machine
Dermot Mulroney as President Ritson
Olivia Colman as Sonya Falsworth
Kingsley Ben-Adir as Gravik
Emilia Clarke as TBA
Killian Scott as TBA
Christopher McDonald as TBA
Carmen Ejogo as TBA
Irina Kara as TBA

Jackson reprises his role as ex-SHIELD director Nick Fury, a character he’s played since 2008’s Iron Man. His last MCU appearance was in 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, where Fury was enjoying a vacation onboard a skrull spaceship. 

In November 2021, Marvel released an image of Fury without his iconic eye patch and sporting a gray beard. This is part of his new undercover look as he tries to get to the bottom of the skrull invasion.

Nick Fury has got his good eye on you. (Image credit: Disney Plus/Marvel Studios)

Fury is joined by Ben Mendolsohn’s Talos and Cobie Smulders’ Maria Hill. Talos was also seen in Far From Home, disguising himself as Fury to help Spider-Man stop Mysterio. 

Meanwhile, Hill hasn’t been seen since Avengers: Endgame. Well, technically she hasn’t – Smulders reprised her role as the ex-SHIELD deputy director in Far From Home, too. But, like Talos who was masquerading as Fury, she was being impersonated by Soren, Talos’ wife.

Don Cheadle and Martin Freeman are back as James Rhodes and Everett K. Ross. Dermot Mulroney (Hanna, The Purge) is said to be portraying President Ritson, according to an image snapped by Instagram user the_insta_phils (thanks to ComicBook.com for the catch). The first trailer also appears to show Mulroney’s Ritson in the convoy that’s hit by an explosion. We’d be surprised if he survives, too, with Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross already confirmed to be the next US President in Captain America: New World Order.

Award-winning actress Olivia Colman is playing special agent Sonya Falsworth. The Falsworth name is one comic fans will immediately recognize, with members of this family taking on the superhero pseudonym Union Jack. It’s unclear if Colman’s Falsworth will do so in this TV show.

Kingsley Ben-Adir’s skrull commander has also been identified as Gravik, a new character created for the series. MCU insider CanWeGetSomeToast suggests Gravik has risen through the empire’s ranks to be a prominent leader in the skrull hierarchy and will be the primary antagonist. According to The Cosmic Circus, Gravik’s rogue sect have set up camp in Russia

Possible spoilers follow for the identities of Secret Invasion’s other characters.

Sonya Falsworth is one of multiple new characters in Secret Invasion. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Fans initially believed Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) would portray Abigail Brand, the commander of SWORD – a counter-terrorism organization that specifically deals with extra-terrestrial threats in the comics. 

However, MCU leaker MyTimetoShineHello claims Clarke is playing a skrull called Veranke, who is queen of the Skrull empire. Other insiders, such DanielRPK and Lizzie Hill, dispute that, though, and say Clarke is playing a skrull called G’iah (aka Talos’ daughter, according to CanWeGetSomeToast), who impersonated Pepper Potts in various Marvel comics. G’iah will reportedly start out as an adversary of Fury and company, but eventually joins them to tackle Gravik’s skrulls.

Christopher McDonald (Hacks, Happy Gilmore) is apparently playing a Fox News-style anchor in the mould of Tucker Carlson (per Secret Invasion News). Killian Scott (Ripper Street, Love/Hate) will supposedly portray a skrull called Fiz (via The Direct), while Carmen Ejogo (Fantastic Beasts) has been cast in an undisclosed role. 

Elsewhere, Russian actor Irina Kara (Psycho) was also spotted on set (via Reddit) but nobody knows what her role entails. DanielRPK (via CBM Scene) has claimed Charlayne Woodward (Unbreakable) will portray Priscilla, who is Fury’s wife and a S.W.O.R.D agent, too.

One character who surprisingly might be involved is Daisy Johnson/Quake, who was portrayed by Chloe Bennet in ABC’s Agents of SHIELD – a TV series without ties to the MCU. Given Quake’s prominent role in the Secret Invasion comic book series, some fans have wondered if she’ll appear.

Bennet previously denied her involvement on Instagram, but Marvel leakers CineStealth and Tom Smith suggest Bennet will feature. DanielRPK claims she’ll get a new origin story, even though Marvel will include parts of her Agents of SHIELD character arc. Another leaker – The Watcher – has suggested Quake’s MCU origins will be kept intentionally vague, which gives Marvel some wriggle room about Agents of SHIELD‘s MCU canonicity.

Since those rumors (and denials) were posted online, Bennet appears to have confirmed she’s back as Quake. Taking to Instagram in late November, Bennet posed alongside some daisies (*hint hint*), with Marvel fans assuming she’ll make her MCU debut very soon.

Secret Invasion plot

Talos is one of the good skrulls who helps Nick Fury in Secret Invasion. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Here’s Secret Invasion‘s brief story synopsis: “Secret Invasion is a newly announced series heading to Disney Plus. The crossover comic event series showcases a faction of shape-shifting skrulls who have been infiltrating earth for years.”

The show will be spy/espionage superhero action-adventure in tone and it’ll be the MCU’s first crossover event, so it’ll likely tie into Marvel Phase 4 and other Phase 5 projects.

However, Secret Invasion won’t be as narratively expansive as the comics it’s based on. In January 2021, Marvel President Kevin Feige told ComicBook.com: “There were more characters in the comic series than there were in Endgame so, no [Secret Invasion won’t be bigger in scope].”

Given the series’ major players, we’re expecting Secret Invasion to be a continuation of the story from Captain Marvel and Spider-Man: Far From Home, which were released in 2019. These movies involved the skrulls to varying degrees, so it’ll come as no surprise if they act as jumping-off points for the series.

Speaking to Collider in January 2021, Feige said the series’ “political paranoia” was something Marvel had wanted to explore for a long time, adding: “We wanted to do a series because it would allow us to do something different than we’ve seen before.” In a separate Digital Spy interview, Martin Freeman also teased: “It’s pretty dark figuratively and literally. It’s a bit murky, quite labyrinthine in terms of storytelling, and the amount of people crossing over with each other.”

Potential spoilers follow for Secret Invasion’s plot.

The skrulls have secretly been living on earth for a number of years. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

One interesting plot point might concern The Blip – i.e. the moment where Thanos snapped half of the universe out of existence in Avengers: Infinity War. CineStealth claims it doesn’t take place during this period, but the skrull invasion occurs in the five years between Infinity War and Endgame. If true, its first episode may cover the skrull invasion before the show’s main narrative begins.

Given the skrulls’ ability to shapeshift, we could see other MCU characters make cameo appearances. The comic series revealed there were skrulls who had been masquerading as some of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes for years. And it sounds like this story thread could be adapted for the show, with MyTimetoShineHello saying there’ll be “some superheroes” who turn up in the series.

Elsewhere, The John Campea Show guest Robert Burnett claims Rhodey will play a key role. Additionally, The Cosmic Circus suggests the Department of Damage Control (DoDC), who showed up in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Ms Marvel, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, will also figure.

We’ll learn more about Fury’s life away from the superhero world, too. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Jackson said: “There are things that even I really didn’t know about Nick Fury that I just found out. The minds behind what happened during The Blip are fantastic. That’s part of what we’re uncovering when we do this series now.”

Finally, chatting to The Hollywood Reporter, Jackson elaborated on how the series will explore Fury’s priorities and world outside of the Avengers. “Well, I can have a whole life as Nick Fury that’s not Nick Fury at work,” he said. “You know, we get to go home with me and see what happens with me at home or when I’m alone or when I’m not so strong.” Could Charlayne Woodward’s Priscilla tie into this? We’ll have to wait and see.

Secret Invasion: how will it impact the MCU?

Monica Rambeau might team up with Nick Fury in The Marvels. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Secret Invasion should follow on from Captain Marvel and Far From Home, and pick up events from WandaVision, which saw Monica Rambeau/Photon (Teyonah Parris) approached by a skrull in the series finale. The unnamed skrull told Rambeau that a friend of her mother wanted to meet Monica, and many fans have predicted this “friend” is Nick Fury. 

This plot point wasn’t resolved before WandaVision ended, so it’s possible that Rambeau could cameo in Secret Invasion. Rambeau will have a major role to play in The Marvels alongside Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel, but it would be fun to see her show up here first. 

Meanwhile, during Marvel’s presentation at Disney’s 2020 Investor Day (via Mashable), Feige revealed Secret Invasion would tie directly into upcoming MCU movies. The Marvels will be one – Fury is set to appear in that flick – and, as mentioned in our cast section, Captain America 4 will be another. Lastly, Don Cheadle confirmed to Total Film magazine (via SlashFilm) that Secret Invasion “kicks off what happens” in Armor Wars, Rhodey’s first solo MCU adventure. So that’s three forthcoming films that’ll be directly affected by what happens in this show.

For more MCU content, read up on how to watch the Marvel movies in order or check out our Best Marvel movies ranked guide.

Read More 

GTA 6 is official in development, though it’ll likely be a while before it’s out. Here’s what we know so far.

GTA 6 was revealed last year in a Tweet by Rockstar. While it’s not exactly surprising that GTA 6 is indeed the studio’s next project, it was nice to get confirmation after years of rumors and speculation.

Unfortunately, Rockstar suffered a leak shortly after the announcement. Despite the huge amount of information on GTA 6 found in the leaks, whether the finished product will look anything like the leaked footage remains to be seen. 

We won’t be linking to these leaks directly, instead using the footage shown to shed some light on GTA 6. While we wait for new information regarding the upcoming open world game, you’ll find everything we know about GTA 6 so far, right here on this page. As news is released, this page will be updated.

GTA 6: cut to the chase

What is it? The next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series

When can I play it? TBC

What can I play it on? TBC

GTA 6 release date and platforms

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

While Rockstar Games has finally announced it’s working on GTA 6, it has said nothing of when the game will release, let alone confirm a release date. According to a report by Bloomberg, published back in June, 2022, current and former Rockstar staff reckoned GTA 6 was still at least two years away from release, suggesting a 2024/2025 launch.

Similarly, there’s been no information as to what platforms GTA 6 will launch on. It’s safe to assume that it’ll arrive on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S at launch, however, older consoles are much less likely, depending on when GTA 6 comes out. In the past, PC ports for Rockstar games have followed years after their console releases, so this could also be the case with GTA 6. We’ll have to wait for more details on GTA 6‘s release date and platforms.

GTA 6 trailer: when can I watch one?

(Image credit: Rockstar Games)

Unfortunately, Rockstar Games didn’t share a trailer for GTA 6 alongside its announcement, suggesting that the developer is approaching its reveal of Grand Theft Auto 6 differently than its previous titles. With both GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar Games teased an announcement a few days before dropping the first trailer for either game. 

But this time Rockstar didn’t tease an announcement at all, nor did it announce the game with a trailer, instead it simply included the announcement as part of a community post, making it difficult to predict whether there will be a trailer sometime soon.

GTA 6 map and setting

Grand Theft Auto (Image credit: Rockstar Games)

Rockstar Games hasn’t confirmed where GTA 6 will take us, but there’s a plethora of rumors floating around suggesting a variety of settings for the game. Although every online titbit and juicy gossip morsel looks tantalizing, a few hold more water than others.

It’s looking most likely that GTA 6 will be set in Vice City, Rockstar’s fictional version of Miami, or at least a fictional version of Miami. The aforementioned Bloomberg report claims a source “close to the matter” suggests Vice City will appear in GTA 6, although Rockstar’s original plans were apparently more ambitious. That’s backed up by the leaked gameplay footage, one of which showed a “Vice City Metro” train.

Bloomberg’s report claims that, at the beginning of development, GTA 6 encompassed huge areas modeled after both North and South America. That scope was apparently cut back, however, to focus on Vice City and its surrounding area, though “the game’s world remains large, with more interior locations than previous Grand Theft Auto games”.

But the map won’t remain static, according to the report. Rockstar plans to update GTA 6 with more cities and interior locations after release, with these updates set to be substantially larger than those GTA 5 has received. The idea is to give developers more breathing room to create the game’s expansive map and cut down on stressful overtime during development. It also means you’ll have new areas to explore after the game hits shelves. According to Bloomberg, Rockstar plans to add new missions and cities to the game “on a regular basis”, giving us new areas to explore while hopefully cutting crunch at the studio. 

GTA 6 story and characters

(Image credit: Rockstar)

Rockstar Games hasn’t confirmed GTA 6‘s story or characters yet but reports and rumors may point to what we can expect from Grand Theft Auto 6‘s storytelling. 

According to a Bloomberg report by Jason Schreier, GTA 6 will feature the series’ first female protagonist and center around a pair of characters styled after the American criminal duo Bonnie and Clyde. This is backed up by the leaked gameplay footage, which shows two different protagonists, both male, and female.

Bloomberg’s report details Rockstar’s efforts to change its workplace culture, and how the developer “has spent the last four years overhauling its culture and working to become a kinder, more progressive company.” As part of the changes, “Grand Theft Auto VI will have a female Latina protagonist – the first playable woman in modern Rockstar history.” Who the second leading character is and what the nature of their relationship will be isn’t clear. 

In Schreier’s report, he writes that “the woman, who is Latina, will be one of a pair of leading characters in a story influenced by the bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde”. Developers at Rockstar are “being cautious not to ‘punch down’ by making jokes about marginalized groups,” in contrast to previous entries in the series.

GTA 6 gameplay

(Image credit: Rockstar)

Seeing as Rockstar has yet to release any official details on gameplay, we have very little to go off of currently. According to the leaked early development footage, we say this year, it does seem that Rockstar is trying out some new mechanics for GTA 6. There seems to be a focus on robbery and heists, with some new stealth mechanics thrown in for good measure.  

From the footage that leaked (now deleted), things look very similar to GTA 5, but with some additional and updated aspects like being able to go prone. Of course, this was all clearly early development, so there’s no saying what the GTA 6 gameplay will end up being like.

Currently, it’s safe to assume that GTA 6 will feature the same third-person action as the last couple of entries in the series. What we don’t know are the finer details, like how character switching will work, whether there’s a multiplayer element, or how players can interact with the world. The leaked gameplay showed very early development assets, which only give us a small part of the picture regarding GTA 6‘s gameplay. 

GTA 6 news

Grand Theft Auto (Image credit: Rockstar Games) (Image credit: Rockstar Games)

Rockstar addresses GTA 6 leak
Rockstar Games formally confirmed that the GTA 6 leak that occurred in September 2022 was real. Releasing a statement via Twitter, the team advised this included “early development footage for the next Grand Theft Auto.” While they didn’t comment on particular details spotted in the leak, the team said it’s “extremely disappointed to have any details of our next game shared this way.”

Crucially, Rockstar’s statement advised that the leak shouldn’t cause any delays, stating “we do not anticipate any disruption to our live game services nor any long-term effect on the development of our ongoing projects.” Promising an official update to this next game “when it is ready.”

GTA 6 suffers huge gameplay leak
Last September, Grand Theft Auto 6 saw what was easily one of the biggest leaks in gaming history. Roughly 90 videos were posted onto the official GTA Forums by a poster named teapotuberhacker, containing gameplay footage that’s early in development. Since going live, Rockstar and Take-Two have since removed these through copyright strikes. Updating their original post (now deleted), teapottuberhacker claimed he was looking to make a deal with Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive, issuing this statement:

“Ok, so this has gone unexpectedly viral, woke up to 3000 Telegram DM’s. If you are an employee of Rockstar or Take 2 and you’re trying to contact me, send me a message containing 22559219889638875756 on Telegram or you can email me at [email address redacted] ** from your corporate email address ** I will try to read all these replies soon – I am looking to negotiate a deal.”

Here are some upcoming games to look forward to in 2023

Read More 

The Apple VR headset may not have been announced yet, but we have plenty of leaks and rumors to discuss.

Apple may not have yet announced its plans for a VR headset, but given the plethora of leaks and rumors surrounding the device it’s almost certainly in the works.  What’s more, the long-awaited Apple VR headset is expected to launch later this year, with an announcement at WWDC 2023 looking very likely.

If the rumors are true, Apple’s VR headset is shaping up to be the most powerful standalone design we’ve seen yet (meaning it won’t need a PC or other external device to function). This so-called laptop for your face will boast two chipsets – one for VR like the Snapdragon XR2 Plus found in the Meta Quest Pro and also an M2, the same chip found in the very best MacBook and Macs. What’s more, it’ll apparently use a 2,800 pixel-per-inch micro OLED display and instead of controllers, it’s believed you’ll control it with just your hands, voice, and eyes.

If you want to find out more about the upcoming device including its rumored price and other expected capabilities scroll down for everything we know about the Apple VR headset.

Apple VR headset: what you need to know

Apple VR headset release date: Apple hasn’t yet confirmed that it’s working on a mixed-reality headset so we also don’t have a confirmed release date. That said rumors indicate the project will launch at WWDC 2023.

Apple VR headset price: Pricing is also yet to be confirmed, but rumors have suggested we’ll see something around the $3,000 / $2,200 / AU$4,400 mark.

Apple VR headset features: Apple’s headset is expected to use have both virtual and mixed reality capabilities. We’ve also heard it will be powered by the impressive M2 chip.

Apple VR headset design: The Apple VR headset could look much less bulky than its rivals according to those familiar with the project. The display unit is believed to house every component, while a single strap goes around the head to keep it secure, though there has been talk of it using an external battery pack.

Apple VR headset battery life: Leaks have suggested the VR headset can only be used in short bursts, leading us to believe its battery life will be quite short.

Apple VR headset controllers: The most recent rumors suggest the headset won’t have controllers and that’ll it rely solely on hand tracking.

The VR headset would join a long list of Apple product lines (Image credit: Unsplash/Julian O’hayon)

Apple VR headset news and leaks

February 26,2023 – we’re hearing that Apple’s 1st-gen headset is likely to launch alongside the iPhone 15 in September, and will be followed by two 2nd-gen headsets (one high-end, one low-end) in 2025.

February 16, 2023 – the Apple VR Headset is now expected to be announced at WWDC 2023 in June instead of an event in April.

January 24, 2023 – instead of controllers the Apple VR headset is might rely solely on hand tracking and voice commands according to reports.

January 8, 2023 – one of the most reliable analysts in the Apple business says the headset will go on sale in the third quarter of 2023.

December 2, 2022 – Apple’s VR headset might no longer run on software named realityOS instead it’s expected to use the newly-christened xrOS platform.

November 13, 2022 – According to one report, mass production on the headset is due to start in March 2023, with a grand unveiling in April 2023.

October 16, 2022 – It would seem that the Apple VR headset is going to offer iris scanning as a way of authentication, enabling account and payment authorization, and easy multi-user switching.

August 29, 2022 – Apple’s VR headset might be called either Reality One or Reality Pro based on trademarks. Most likely it’ll be called the Reality Pro and the Apple Glasses will be the Reality One.

July 27, 2022 – The Apple VR headset might be controlled by wearing two Apple Watches (one on each wrist) based on an Apple patent.

June 27, 2022 – Apple’s VR headset is expected to be more powerful than the world’s best MacBook, with reports it’ll use the new Apple M2 chip.

June 26, 2022 – noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted that we’ll see the Apple VR headset arrive in January 2023, a prediction that fits in with other recent speculation about the device’s launch date.

May 29, 2022 – more trademarks have come to light suggesting that Apple has trademarked the realityOS name, and could be making that trademark international right after WWDC 2022.

May 25, 2022 – Apple has been awarded a patent for an OLED screen cooling system for a VR headset. It’s designed to be much less complex and heavy than a typical OLED thermal management setup (via PatentlyApple).

May 18, 2022 – Reports have emerged from The Information that supports claims that the development process for the Apple VR headset has been hit with several setbacks over the years, including internal disputes and a lack of collaboration.

February 9, 2022 – Reference to ‘realityOS’ spotted in official Apple App Store update logs by developers; later removed suggesting it was an accident.

January 13, 2022 – Reports of further development issues suggest that the Apple VR headset will be delayed until 2023 rather than launched in 2022.

January 11, 2022 – Multiple sources have indicated that the Apple VR headset can only be used for short bursts at a time, we predict this could be due to battery constraints.

December 8, 2021 – Apple reportedly has high XR ambitions and wants to release a second headset (likely the Apple Glasses) not long after its first.

December 8, 2021 – Apple’s headset may actually weigh between 300 and 400 grams according to the latest reports from analysts.

April 7, 2021 – A separate Apple patent filing suggests its headset could allow hand tracking and be controlled by in-air gestures.

April 7, 2021 – Apple devices could soon be given invisible markers to help them interact better with users wearing Apple VR headsets.

March 24, 2021 – Apple is apparently looking to make its VR headset as light as possible; reportedly it will weigh just 150 grams, much less than the 503 grams Meta Quest 2.

March 20, 2021 – To avoid the 8K screens eating up battery life, Apple apparently plans to use sophisticated eye-tracking to only activate portions of the display at a time.

March 16, 2021 – Based on a patent filing Apple’s headset could use a pair of sophisticated thimble rings as a wearable handset.

February 5, 2021 – The Apple VR headset could use more than a dozen cameras and house dual 8K displays to deliver a premium performance to users.

February 4, 2021 – An Apple headset is planned to launch in 2022 with LiDar distance tracking to help provide enhanced AR and VR features, as discussed in the original iteration of this article.

Apple VR headset release date

Despite the most recent delay pushing the headset’s rumored launch from April to June, the Apple VR headset is still expected to arrive in 2023.

Though it wouldn’t be the biggest shock if the headset launch slipped further away as it was originally slated for 2022. However numerous reports have claimed that Apple has faced near-continuous development issues while working on its VR headset which is why its planned release has been pushed back so many times.

In particular Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo – who often accurately predicts Apple’s development plans – initially pinpointed January 2023 for a launch window, saying it was “the most complicated product Apple has ever designed”.

We’ve since heard that mass production on the device is due to start in March 2023, with an unveiling possibly scheduled for the month after, though a WWDC 2023 reveal seems more likely now. Actually, with further delays rumored, we might not see the headset until September when it might launch alongside the iPhone 15.

There’s also talk of two 2nd-gen headsets appearing in 2025, with one made more affordable to appeal to a broader range of people.

(Image credit: Mark Nazh / Shutterstock)

Apple VR headset price

Bllomberg’s Mark Gurman (a writer with a solid track record when it come to Apple leaks) has claimed that Apple’s VR headset will be pricey – all thanks to its premium-level specs.

While the price hasn’t yet been confirmed, a report by The Information has the Apple VR headset priced at an eye-watering $3,000 / $2,200 / AU$4,400. 

This estimate has been somewhat corroborated by Bloomberg, whose sources have said Apple expects the VR headset to sell roughly one unit per store per day. These figures match up with the approximate sales of the Mac Pro Desktop which costs $5,999 (about £4,730, AU$8,720) suggesting the headset will carry a similar price tag.

We might be in luck though, more recent reports from Ming-Chi Kuo have said that Apple supposedly now wants to ship 3 million units – considerably more than previously suggested. This suggests we might see its price be set at a more consumer-friendly level, though even then we don’t expect it to cost less than the Meta Quest Pro which sets you back $1,500 / £1,500 / AU$2,450.

Apple VR headset features and design

Apple has yet to confirm the existence of its VR headset, but numerous design details and features have been leaked already; giving us a pretty good idea of what it will look and perform like.

As with all leaks we have to remember to take this information with a pinch of salt, but that advice is especially true here. That’s because Apple is supposedly working on multiple devices: this headset, a cheaper follow-up VR headset, and a pair of Apple Glasses; this has led to some confusion among leakers about what details relate to which headset.

Things are a lot less confusing now however and we’ve since gone back through all the rumors and will highlight the ones here that paint the most likely and consistent picture of Apple’s upcoming device.

This design was created by The Information based on accounts of what Apple’s VR headset looks like (Image credit: The Information)

First off it’s probably going to be a powerful device, with Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via AppleInsider) predicting the device will have similar computing power as the MacBook Pro (M1,2020). However, likely in part due to the delays Apple seems to have abandoned the M1 chip and might actually use an M2 chip in its headset instead – with the M2 being about 35% more powerful than its predecessor.

We also expect the Apple headset to incorporate dual high resolution displays which could each boast a 7680 x 4320 resolution that’s four times as many pixels as a 4K screen and significantly more pixels than any other commercially available VR device. Multiple leaks have confirmed this detail so we’re feeling confident that these high-quality displays will appear in the final design.

To help these components conserve battery, Apple apparently has a plan to use sophisticated eye-tracking. Eye-tracking software in the headset is designed to follow where the user is looking and only activate that portion of the screen at the full 8K resolution. Other areas of the screen would become more blurred to save on processing power via a trick called foveated rendering.

This could help the device’s rumored short battery life. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman cites multiple sources in saying that the Apple headset is designed to be used only in short bursts. Supposedly this is a mandated limitation to rebel against ideas like the Metaverse which would require you to use the headset for long periods of time. We suspect Apple would achieve this by intentionally installing a small battery that requires frequent recharging rather than imposing any kind of time-out function.

A small battery would also help the headset maintain its lightweight design – with rumors indicating Apple wants to make the headset as light as 150 grams; this would be over two-thirds lighter than the Meta Quest 2 (formerly known as the Oculus Quest 2). Other rumors suggest it could actually end up in the (more realistic) 300-400 gram range.

Do you want to control your VR headset with two Apple Watches? (Image credit: Shutterstock / DenPhotos)

One final patent revealed that we might be using two Apple Watches to control the headset, though we definitely recommend taking this with a pinch of salt. Considering the Apple Watch 7 starts at $399 / £369 / AU$599, requiring even one of them would make the VR headset even more expensive than it’s already predicted to be.

A more recent rumor suggests the device will instead use more typical hand-tracking methods found in rivals like the Oculus Quest 2 and moreover, it will forgo controllers altogether. Hand-tracking can be clunky, but if the headset relies on its eye-tracking data to improve accuracy and also relies on sophisticated voice commands we could see the VR headset offering a great user experience without burdening us with handsets.

We’ve also heard that Apple is planning to put iris scanning into the headset, so different users can wear it and authorize their own mobile payments and account logins without needing to type out passwords every time.

These are the best VR headsets you can buy today
Browse all the latest cheap VR headset deals available now

Read More 

In the fervent battle between Nvidia vs AMD, has 2023 truly found a winner?

The ongoing competition between AMD and Nvidia is heating up with the launch of several GPUs between the two of them. And while normally the competition would be great for consumers, the lack of mid-range and low-budget options certainly was not.

Until the official reveal of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Founders Edition, which will release on April 13 with an MSRP of $599. With this reveal, AMD will hopefully step its game up and launch a mid-range or even low-budget card itself, which would give gamers even more options.

As it stands, the best Nvidia GeForce graphics cards and the best AMD graphics cards can only get more powerful and cheaper each year, thanks to said competition between the two manufacturers.

Currently, Nvidia is winning on power but only by a small margin, while AMD is ahead in terms of pricing. With the differences between the chips becoming smaller each generation, choosing your GPU is less about the manufacturer itself and more about your preferences and computing needs, and which of the best graphics cards can satisfy that.

Despite this, each brand has its own strengths and weaknesses. This is why we’ve pitted AMD and Nvidia against each other to see who reigns supreme in the GPU market in terms of pricing, performance, and features.

While in the last gen, the competition between Nvidia and AMD has produced some of the best and most affordable GPUs in years, this generation has been noticeably lacking in that regard. However, it seems that Nvidia has drawn first blood with its launch of the GeForce RTX 4070, the first true mid-range option of this generation. 

However, there are plenty of options on the high-end side of the spectrum like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090, and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX. But unlike the past generation, these cards are quite expensive, making them inaccessible to gamers who are looking for budget or near-budget prices.

Though there won’t be a true winner in this battle of Nvidia versus AMD, the consumer wins in the end as these two manufacturers constantly one-up each other. And to make that decision even easier, we’ve also pitted the tech giants against each other in terms of price, performance, and features, which means you simply need to choose what’s best for you.

There are graphics card choices for days (Image credit: Future)

AMD vs Nvidia: price

Traditionally, AMD has always been known as the more affordable brand of graphics cards, and that’s true to this day… to a point. Right now, if you want a truly budget card with solid performance you’ll need to look to last-gen, like the AMD Radeon RX 6600 which you can get for a little over $200. Solid mid-range options for 1440p and 4K gaming would be the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT for $399 and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT for $580, respectively. And now we have the introduction of the current-gen RTX 4070 priced at a much more affordable $599 (around £480 / AU$895).

Once you start going up the price stack, things change, however. At the top of the pile, AMD still comes out as the winner in terms of affordability. The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX is $1,029.99 (around £825 / AU$1,538) compared with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 costing $1,649.99 (around £1,321 / AU$2,463) at the lowest and the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 priced at 1,169.99 (around £937 / AU$1,746) at its lowest.

Once to get to the lower high-end, however, things are no longer so black and white, with both AMD and Nvidia producing some of the best 1440p graphics cards on the market right now, though the pricing isn’t always as strictly tied to performance as it used to be. 

The Nvidia RTX 3090 still remains the card to beat. (Image credit: Future)

AMD vs Nvidia: performance

AMD may lag behind in ray tracing-heavy tests and creative performance, but a few of the cards in the line are certainly giving Nvidia some stiff competition in overall performance. If you want to play the best PC games at 4K and get a solid 60+ fps frame rate, you’re no longer stuck with Nvidia. Although with the Nvidia RTX 4090 now officially out in the world, AMD is going to need to roll out a serious contender soon.

In 2023, you’ll need to look to last-gen to get a graphics card that will power the best PC games at 1080p settings with something like the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT. If you want to play AAA games at 1440p while not breaking the bank, Team Green finally has a solid option in the GeForce RTX 4070.

The wider availability of graphics cards that can push pixels at these resolutions on a budget has made PC gaming much more accessible than ever before, and these upcoming generations have done the same for 4K gaming on PC, especially with the PS5 and Xbox Series X both costing much less than the price of a high-end gaming PC.

For 4K, both manufacturers have terrific offerings, with Nvidia rolling out the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080, RTX 4090, and even the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, and AMD releasing the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, which has been developed to go toe-to-toe with Nvidia’s RTX 4080.

AMD vs Nvidia: exclusivity and features

(Image credit: AMD)

When it comes to features beyond just rendering games, Nvidia and AMD take much different approaches. 

Typically, AMD’s approach is much more consumer-friendly, as it releases features and technologies that can be used even on Nvidia graphics cards – though they will usually work best on AMD’s own silicon. AMD doesn’t always have the best track record when it comes to driver support, but real problems are generally few and far between.

Nvidia, on the other hand, likes to keep things close to its chest, launching features like DLSS 3 that only work on its own platform. Team Green has been doing this for years, going back to PhysX. In fact, with that latter technology, you were even able to have a dedicated PhysX graphics card in your system to handle the computationally heavy workload. 

Recently, however, Nvidia has launched a ton of features that are helpful outside of gaming, both as part of its ongoing Nvidia Studio suite program for creative and professional workloads, and just to aid people in their post-pandemic lives. 

Most notably, with Lovelace, you get Nvidia Broadcast, which is incredibly useful technology for pretty much everyone. With this program, you can replace backgrounds in any video conferencing app using AI. What’s better is that you can also use it to filter out all background noise from your microphone while in a call, so you don’t have to worry about disrupting that 10am meeting by drinking coffee and hurriedly eating breakfast. 

Conversely, AMD is still very much centered on gaming with its mainstream graphics cards, with its second-gen Ray Accelerators and FSR 2.0 coming into its own as an upscaling tech, which are centered on delivering a better 4K ray-tracing gaming experience. This includes things like contrast adaptive sharpening (CAS) that makes playing on a higher resolution display easier, and better ambient occlusion. 

AMD vs Nvidia: which is better?

There’s so much to love about both Nvidia and AMD graphics. In the end, both of these companies rely on competition with each other to thrive. Suffice to say, the Nvidia vs AMD debate requires that you understand there’s a reason Radeon and GeForce GPUs are so similar in performance right now. 

Each company is doing its best to keep up with the mindshare of the other, and that’s good for us. They’re basically fighting for our money, learning from each other’s mistakes and legislating marked improvements along the way. 

It’s up to you who wins the fiery contest of Nvidia vs AMD, although we will say this: Nvidia is unmatched in the 4K market right now. If it helps any, the RTX 2080 Ti is probably your best bet if you want your PC to keep up with your Ultra HD display – as long as you can afford it. On the other hand, if you’re on a budget and looking into mid-range cards, Nvidia is currently your best bet right now.

Read More 

Here’s everything to know about the Apple M2 chip, the company’s next-gen silicon.

The Apple M2 processor has been on the market for a while now and plenty of laptops and other machines are powered by the chip. This latest piece of Apple silicon was revealed during the company’s WWDC 2022 event, alongside other Apple products like the MacBook Air 2022 and MacBook Pro 2022. 

Since then, the rest of the Apple M2 product stack has been filled out with the Apple M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, as well as the high-end M2 Ultra. Together, these are some of the best processors you’re going to find anywhere.

After the success of the M1 chip powering Apple’s many other laptops, such as the MacBook Air (M1), 13-inch MacBook Pro (M1), 14-inch MacBook Pro (2021), and 16-inch MacBook Pro (2021), it’s understandable that people want to see what Apple has planned for it’s next generation of silicon.

It’s also behind other devices like the Apple Mac Mini (M1), 24-inch iMac (2021), Apple iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 2021), and the latest iPad Air 5, so the M-series chips are becoming essential to several Apple product lines going forward.

These are all nearly unanimously best-in-class devices, so seeing what these devices are capable of with an Apple M2 chip is definitely an exciting prospect. And with the reveal of the Apple M2 featuring a number of superpowered GPU cores, the best Mac games will really stand out.

With Metal API integration into Unreal Engine 5, developing games for the Mac is easier than ever (though whether developers will actually do so remains to be seen). An Apple M2 chip will definitely incentivize that development.

With Intel Alder Lake chips showing the awesome potential of big.LITTLE architecture when it comes to performance and both Intel Raptor Lake and AMD Zen 4 are expected to be released later this year, the Apple M2 is facing some stiff competition. So what do we know about the next generation of Apple silicon? Let’s dig into all the nitty-gritty details.

Apple M2 chip: Cut to the chase

What is it? Apple’s next generation of mainstream Mac and iPad processorsHow much does it cost? The chip doesn’t sell on its own, it depends on the price of the device it powers.When is it out? It was announced at WWDC 2022 on June 6, 2022, and first shipped with the new MacBook Air and new MacBook Pro 13-inch on July 2022.

(Image credit: Future)

Apple M2: Release date

The Apple M2 was announced during the company’s WWDC 2022 event on June 6, 2022. The chip does not sell on its own, with the first two products featuring this new Apple Silicon being the MacBook Air 2022 and a new MacBook Pro 13-inch 2022.

The key highlights of the iPad Pro (2022) line, which runs on Apple M2 silicon (Image credit: Apple)

Fast-forward to October 18 and Apple pulled the wraps of a trio of new iPads, including the new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2022), both of which trade their respective predecessors’ M1 chips for M2 silicon.

Apple M2: Price

The Apple M2 doesn’t sell on its own – although, can you imagine if that was Apple’s big play for 2022? That would be a trip.

No, the Apple M2 is only sold as part of one of its products, so it’s those device price tags to look out for.

Prices from a lot of hardware manufacturers in the past year have steadily increased. Whether we want to chalk that up to companies pulling a fast one over on consumers, or it’s because costs have actually gone up enough to drive up the prices on the finished products, things are just more expensive in 2022, and tech products especially so.

The most affordable offering is the MacBook Air 2022, with prices starting at $1,199, and the more premium MacBook Pro 13-inch at $1,199 / £1,249 / AU$1,899. That’s more expensive than the last generation of hardware, though thankfully both the M1-powered variants of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13-inch are still available at their original MSRP.

(Image credit: Apple)

Apple M2: specs and performance

While the number might be bigger, the Apple M2 is clearly not meant to outperform the most recent M1 Pro and M1 Max chips (much less the M1 Ultra). 

That MX designation powers consumer devices, while the MX Pro and MX Max chips run inside higher-end professional devices, while the MX Ultra is intended to power desktop workstations, like the Mac Studio and the new Mac Pro (2022).

The Apple M2 chip is an 8-core SoC, featuring a 4+4 core configuration, with four performance cores and four efficiency cores; running with a TDP around 10-15 watts. The second generation of Apple silicon is designed on an enhanced 5nm process, with 5 billion transistors, 100GB/s of memory bandwidth, and up to 24GB of unified memory.

This will likely only matter in terms of the graphics and the neural processing components of the SoC, which a MacBook Air or an iPad Pro don’t need nearly as much as a MacBook Pro; useful for video editing or 3D modeling work.

The M2 features a 10-core GPU, and a neural engine capable of 5.8 trillion operations per second, more than 40% more operations than on the M1, according to Apple.

Apple M2: frequently asked questions

Apple M2 FAQs

Is Apple M2 better than M1?

The Apple M2 chip is definitely better than the Apple M1 chip, though the performance of the M1 vs M2 chip isn’t as huge as the M1 was over the last Intel chip in the MacBook Air (2020).

Is it worth upgrading to M2 from M1?

Since you can’t upgrade the processor in an iMac or MacBook directly, upgrading to the M2 from the Apple M1 chip would require buying a whole new device. This is a very expensive proposition, especially given the relatively small performance improvement compared to upgrading to the M2 (or even the M1) from an earlier Intel-based MacBook. So, no, it probably isn’t worth upgrading from an M1 to M2 (or M1 Pro/M1 Max to an M2 Pro/M2 Max MacBook Pro).

Check out the best MacBook and Macs of 2022

Read More 

We’re rounding up the best Valentine’s day flower delivery services and the top online deals happening right now.

February 14 is a little over a month away, which means it’s time to start thinking about placing an order for Valentine’s Day flowers for that special someone. To help you find today’s top offers, we’ve rounded up the best Valentine’s Day flower delivery services in the US and the UK.

Placing an online order for Valentine’s Day flowers is always an easy and romantic option. Beautiful floral arrangements are available to order in minutes from a wide range of online retailers, and most offer discounts or free delivery around this time of year.

Our guide has rounded up the best online flower delivery services, as well as the current promotions from each florist, and included important information such as delivery charges. Make sure to bookmark this page, as we’ll be updating it with all the latest Valentine’s Day flower offers from the top online delivery services, including last-minute delivery fees.

US Valentine’s Day sales

Amazon– save on jewelry, candles, perfume & moreGodiva Chocolates – free shipping on orders $45+Lindt Chocolates – Lindor 250-piece bags now $75Macy’s – up to 65% off diamond earrings, rings & necklacesNordstrom – handpicked gifts that ship for free Shari’s Berries – chocolate-covered strawberries from $32.99Target – candy, treats & home decor starting at $5Victoria’s Secret – lingerie, pajamas & slippers from $15Walmart – candy, party supplies, decor, gifts & more

Valentine’s Day flower delivery 2023 – USA

UK Valentine’s Day sales

Amazon – gifts starting at just £6.99Boohoo – up to 70% off jackets, knits & bootsJohn Lewis – Chocolate & alcohol gift hampers from £14Lovehoney – spice up your love life via the adults-only websiteVery – gifts and fashion for him and her

Valentine’s Day flower delivery – UK

Get a head start on your Mothers Day flowers (US)Shop Mothers Day flowers in the UK

Read More 

Here’s what we know about Invincible season 2 before its release on Prime Video.

Invincible season 2’s release date draws ever closer. Okay, the hugely popular R-rated animated series only has a late 2023 launch window to its name – but hey, each new day brings its arrival closer to reality.

While you wait, why not catch up on everything worth knowing about Invincible‘s second season? Below, we’ve rounded up what you need to know ahead of one of the best Prime Video shows‘ returns. That includes its returning and new cast members, story details, its first teaser, and more. Believe us: you’re going to want to renew your Prime Video subscription for this one.

Major spoilers follow for Invincible season 1. Potential spoilers for its second season and the graphic novels are discussed, too.

Invincible season 2 release date: what we know

Calm down, Mark, Invincible season 2 launches in Q4 2023. (Image credit: Amazon Prime Video)

Invincible season 2 doesn’t have an official release date. However, Amazon has revealed it’ll arrive on its streaming service in late 2023.

Invincible seasons 2 and 3 were greenlit in April 2021. And, as showrunner Simon Racioppa told TechRadar in March 2022, the Invincible crew have been “working hard” on season 2 for a long, long time. Judging by the teaser (more on this shortly), that certainly seems to be the case.

Additionally Khary Payton, who plays Black Sansom, told ScreenRant: “We finished season 2. We’re onto season 3, but it’s so hard to say right now [when season 2 is coming out].”

So, when will Invincible season 2 be released? If we had to pick a month, we’d say October. That gives the development team another seven months to complete work on it and ensure Invincible‘s next outing is as good as it can be.

Invincible season 2 trailer

The first Invincible season 2 teaser was revealed in January, just two days before the comic series’ 20th anniversary.

It shows Mark and Allen reuniting in a BM burger restaurant to – in the most meta terms possible – discuss what Mark’s been up to and why season 2 hasn’t been released yet. The show’s animation has clearly received a glow up from its predecessor, too, which is pleasing to see.

Unfortunately, the trailer doesn’t reveal much from plot or character arc perspectives. However, there are a few blink and you’ll them moments that potentially tease what to expect.

Potential story spoilers follow.

The biggest clue concerns a script page, which teases a showdown between Invincible and The Immortal. That’s despite the latter apparently dying at Omni-Man’s hands (again) – as the final episode of season 1 proved, though, The Immortal isn’t dead, so we could see Mark and The Immortal battle in the next season. That’s if this isn’t a misdirect on the writing team’s part, which would tie into the trailer’s joke-laced nature.

Other notable Easter eggs include what appears to be a younger Eve sitting in the booth behind Mark (is she with the scientist who created her?), a possible first-look at season 2’s main villain (more on him later), and another mention of the planet Urath. You know, the world Allen was supposed to be keeping tabs on and eventually challenge its champion for. As was revealed in season 1, however, he’s been watching over Earth instead. Oops.

Invincible season 2 cast

Expect familiar faces to return in Invincible season 2. (Image credit: Amazon Studio)

We expect these actors to return for Invincible season 2:

Steven Yeun as Mark Grayson/Invincible
J.K. Simmons as Nolan Grayson/Omni-Man
Sandra Oh as Debbie Grayson
Zazie Beetz as Amber Bennett
Gillian Jacobs as Samantha Eve Wilkins/Atom Eve
Andrew Rannells as William Clockwell
Walton Goggins as Cecil Stedman
Jason Mantzoukas as Rex Sloan/Rex Splode
Ross Marquand as Rudy Conners, Kursk and Bi-Plane
Mark Hamill as Art Rosenbaum
Khary Payton as Markus Grimshaw/Black Samson
Malese Jow as Kate Cha/Dupli-Kate
Grey Griffin as Shrinking Rae and Amanda (Monster Girl’s human form)
Kevin Michael Richardson as Monster Girl/the Mauler Twins
Seth Rogen as Allen the Alien
Mahershala Ali as Titan

Zachary Quinto voiced Robot in season 1, but it’s unclear if he’ll be back. In the first season, Robot was the artificial host body of Rudy Conners, an individual whose genetic defects initially meant he was unable to live outside of his saline tank. 

With Rudy’s consciousness being transferred into his new clone body in episode 7, Ross Marquand took over vocal duties for Rudy, so we don’t know if Quinto will return. Robot has a big role to play in the comics, but we’re unsure if those events will play out in Invincible season 2 or a future installment.

Other returnees could include Chris Diamantopoulos (Doc Seismic), Fred Tatasciore (Kill Cannon), Clancy Brown (Damien Darkblood), Jeffrey Donovan (Machine Head), Ezra Miller (D.A. Sinclair), and Michael Dorn (Battle Beast and Thokk). Kirkman has hinted at some of their returns, but we’re unsure which ones will be back.

Kirkman has also expressed interest in more of The Walking Dead‘s TV cast signing on to voice other characters. Yeun, Marquand, Laurie Cohan, Michael Cudlitz, Sonequa Martin-Green, and Lennie James have lent their voices to the show already, but Kirkman wants more Walking Dead stars to appear (per ComicBook.com).

It appears Kirkman has got his wish with another Walking Dead alumnus joining Invincible‘s ranks – that being Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who’ll also star in season 4 of The Boys, another Prime Video series.

Invincible season 2 plot

Which comic storylines will Invincible season 2 pull from? (Image credit: Amazon Prime Video)

Major spoilers follow for Invincible season 1 and the graphic novels.

Invincible season 2 could explore various storylines from the comics, but we already have some ideas on which ones will be adapted. That’s based on Invincible‘s season 1 finale, plus how the overarching narrative and side stories play out in the graphic novels.

First, let’s discuss season 1’s final episode. Omni-Man was supposed to conquer Earth for the Viltrumite Empire but, when he realized that he couldn’t kill his son Mark and enslave humanity for the Viltrumites, he tearfully headed out into space for an unknown destination.

Season 2 should pick up this plot thread. Mark will be tasked with keeping Earth safe from the forthcoming Viltrumite invasion and help the Coalition of Planets stop the former from carrying out their universe-wide expansion. 

Mark already knows that a Viltrumite fleet is on its way thanks to Allen and, with the latter having a more prominent role in the comics from this point on, we can expect the duo’s friendship and power levels to grow. Here’s hoping the first season 2 teaser is just the tip of the iceberg, as far as their burgeoning bromance goes, too.

We should also find out where Omni-Man/Nolan has gone. In the comics, Nolan invades another planet, which he hopes will act as recompense – with the Viltrumite Empire – for deserting his posting on Earth. There’s a lot more for the animated series to cover regarding Mark and Nolan’s relationship, which is explored extensively in the graphic novels. We could write multiple paragraphs on this compelling father-son bond so, for now, let’s say we’ll definitely see some of Simmons’ Nolan next season.

Season 1’s final episode also teased other potential season 2 subplots. 

We should see more of the Sequids storyline, which wasn’t officially concluded. We know that a Martian has infiltrated Earth after he traded places with one of the human astronauts. Additionally, the spaceman who was left behind on Mars is now controlled by the Sequids, which could spell bad news for Earth if this parasitic race charts a course for the blue planet.

Additionally, Titan and Battle Beast’s stories could be fleshed out in more detail. The last time we saw them, they’d taken over Machine Head’s criminal organization and teleported away from Earth respectively. Their tales continue in the comics, and Kirkman has already alluded to fan favorite Battle Beast getting more screen time. The Flaxans also look like they’ll return, despite Omni-Man’s rampage across their home planet in the show’s second episode.

One interesting piece of news concerns story elements that didn’t make it into Invincible’s comic book run. Speaking to Beyond the Trailer, Kirkman revealed he hoped to include storylines in the show that he couldn’t fit into the graphic novels. One example Kirkman gave concerns Damien Darkblood, who was banished back to Hell by Cecil Stedman in episode 4. However, it’s unclear if this will form part of the new season.

Meanwhile, Kirkman has revealed more of where Invincible season 2’s plot could go and it could include arguably Mark’s biggest nemesis from the comics – Angstrom Levy.

Little is revealed about his backstory in the source material, but Levy’s ability to – without detailing too much – traverse time and space makes him a formidable and recurring foe for Mark to deal with.

Speaking during a 2020 Skybound Xpo panel, Kirkman said: “He [Levy] really shakes things up. If you’re familiar with the comics and you’ve watched the TV show, you’ll get a sense of where we’re going with the second season, especially if you think really hard about how we adapted the story in the first season.”

Additionally, based on the impending arrivals of Levy and the Viltrumite fleet, Invincible’s next instalment will enter more cosmic territory. Expect stranger worlds, weirder characters, and a multiverse-spanning plot to feature more heavily next time around. Kirkman has also teased there would be some “crazy stuff coming”, while Jason Mantzoukas revealed that he can’t wait for season 2 to “introduce more villains… like Thragg” and more of the comic series’ intergalactic elements.

How many seasons will Invincible’s TV show get?

Think, Mark! Why wouldn’t Invincible return for a fourth season? (Image credit: Amazon Studios)

In total, there are 144 Invincible comic issues, spanning 20 years of Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley’s careers. The TV adaptation altered the order of certain plot points in its first season, but those eight episodes only covered the first 23 issues. If a similar trajectory is maintained for future seasons, Invincible might end around the season 7 or 8 mark.

Kirkman has said there could be more or less than that, telling ScreenRant there’s a “rough roadmap for where things from the comics will fall”. Additionally, he told Inverse that he “could see it going for five… seven… even 10 years. Maybe we run out of comic books and… we do 100 seasons.”

Of course, that last number is Kirkman exaggerating, but we could certainly see Invincible running for five seasons. If audiences want more, Amazon would be silly to end it after three seasons. 

Its renewal post-season 3 depends on whether Invincible continues to draw in audiences in its next two seasons – or will it? Speaking to Collider, Seth Rogen seemed to suggest Invincible will continue after season 3. However, Amazon told TechRadar that “nothing official has been announced”, so we’re unsure if we’ll get a fourth season and more.

Amazon has had major success with its live-action series based around another R-rated comic book series in Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s The Boys. There’s no reason, then, why Invincible season 2 can’t build on its predecessor’s foundations and stick around for many more years to come.

For more Prime Video-based content, check out our in-depth guides on The Rings of Power season 2 and The Wheel of Time season 2.

Read More 

The first Sonos headphones could arrive soon – with a special feature that Sony can’t compete with.

It might not be too much longer before we see the first-ever Sonos headphones. The popular wireless speaker giant is expected to branch out into the world of personal audio for the first time in its 20-year history, and here we’ve collected all the news, leaks, and rumors we’ve come across so far.

Rumors about an upcoming pair of Sonos headphones have been circulating for a good few years now, first emerging in early 2019.

We’ve seen patents describing how the first Sonos headphones will interact with other Sonos speakers, allowing them to integrate with existing multi-room audio setups – something that the likes of Sony and Sennheiser aren’t able to offer. 

According to a report from Bloomberg, the headphones will likely have support for multiple virtual assistants too, and would focus on competing with Sony, Apple, Bose and Sennheiser by offering high-end audio performance and intergration with the wider Sonos ecosystem.

Bloomberg’s sources also suggested that Sonos could target a price point of around $300 (£200 / AU$400) – so quite a bit cheaper than the Sony WH-1000XM5 – and would launch in 2020.

That never happened, and we’re now several years on – but once again there’s momentum building when it comes to fresh leaks and rumors, which makes us think a pair of Sonos headphones could now be imminent.

Sonos headphones: news and updates

November 16, 2023 – there’s news from Spotify CEO Patrick Spence on an earnings call that the company will enter “a new multi-billion dollar category” in the second half of 2024… and it could well be headphones

April 26, 2022 – patents emerge that suggest the Sonos headphones are going to come with Wi-Fi support, to enable a variety of features that may well include tight integration with Sonos speakers on the same network

February 11 – after we’d been getting our hopes up about the introduction of Sonos headphones at some point in 2022, the news was given to investors that there wouldn’t be any new product categories from the company in that year

February 2 – Rumored Sonos wireless headphones closer to reality thanks to a new acquisition

February 2 – Sonos advertises for an ad agency to help with one of the company’s “most ambitious projects”

January 31 – A Sonos patent reveals plans for Wi-Fi headphones

November 11 – TechAdvisor reports that RHA – an audio company recently bought by Sonos – was working on a pair of “premium” over-ear headphones with features that could have rivalled the AirPods Max

September 13 – Sonos increases the prices of its devices across the board.

May 24 – Sonos patent reveals plans for true wireless earbuds

April 20 – Sonos releases the Sonos Roam, the company’s second Bluetooth speaker

February 18 – A Sonos patent reveals a possible design for its first headphones

February 11 – Sonos CEO pledges to release two new products a year

Sonos headphones: what you need to know

Sonos headphones release date: That’s TBC, but we think a 2024 release date is now looking likely.

Sonos headphones price: It’s rumored they’ll cost $300 / £220 / AU$400.

Sonos headphones design: Patents suggest we’re in for Sony WH-1000XM5-style over-ear headphones (though true wireless earbuds are also possible).

Sonos headphones features: The first Sonos headphones will apparently come with Wi-Fi connectivity, the ability to swap music with Sonos speakers, active noise cancellation, and voice assistant support.

Sonos headphones release date

The recently launched Sonos Era 100 (Image credit: Sonos)

We don’t know for sure when the first Sonos headphones will be released, but a 2024 launch now seems likely based on the rumors we’ve heard. 

Word of a pair of Sonos headphones first came about all the way back in 2019, and we’ve seen a steady influx of patents from the company since then – and the recent acquisitions of audio company RHA and Bluetooth start-up T2 Software suggests Sonos is expanding in preparation for the new cans. 

While Sonos is yet to confirm that it’s working on a pair of wireless headphones, we do know that the company tends to release two new products a year – that’s something that CEO Patrick Spence pledged to continue on an earnings call with investors in 2021.

Peter Pederson, Sonos’ VP Global Marketing and Communications, has also posted to LinkedIn, asking for ad agencies to apply to work on “one of the most ambitious projects in our history”. The job listing specifies that applicants must have experience in launching a new brand/product/service in an established category, creating a new category for an established brand, and/or targeting a new audience/consumer segment.

That sounds very much to us like Sonos is planning to branch out from its existing line up of speakers, amps, and soundbars – and if the company is looking into advertising options, the new product could be on the way very soon. 

Sonos has been busy in 2023: we’ve seen the Era 100 and the Era 300 speakers appear this year, and the rumor is that there might be a streaming set-top box on the way as well.

Sonos headphones price

The Sonos headphones could be cheaper than the Sony WH-1000XM5 cans (Image credit: Future)

The price of the first Sonos headphones is still to be determined, but based on the company’s existing products, we don’t think they’ll come cheap. It’s existing speakers are top quality, but they also come with a high price attached.

Bloomberg’s sources says that the first Sonos wireless headphones will likely cost about $300 / £220 / AU$400, putting them in direct competition with the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. 

If Sonos undercuts these models and delivers on rumored features like Wi-Fi connectivity, the wireless headphones market will be in for a huge shake up – though we aren’t expecting a super budget-friendly price. 

We are, however, at least hoping the first Sonos headphones will cost less than the Apple AirPods Max. Costing $549 / £549 / AU$899, they’re among the most expensive consumer headphones on the market (as in, they aren’t particularly aimed at hardcore audiophiles or studio professionals). 

Sonos headphones design

Illustrations of the Sonos headphones were released in a patent (Image credit: Future / DPMA)

The first Sonos headphones are rumored to be a pair of over-ear cans with wireless connectivity, with patent images revealing what they might look like. 

A 2021 filing at the German Patent and Trademark Office offers a glimpse of what looks to be a close-to-final design for the upcoming headphones, and suggests several changes compared to similar design patents from September 2020, which detailed two different wireless models. 

Based on the images in the patent, the Sonos wireless headphones won’t have rods protruding from the headband like the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, as one previous design suggested, but will instead see the rods go straight down into the ear cups like the Sony WH-1000XM5. There’ll also be no additional piece that wraps around the back of each ear cup, which we saw in the other previous design. 

Two possible designs from the first Sonos headphones patent we saw (Image credit: Sonos)

These patent images also reveal a Sonos logo on the earcups of the headphones, whereas previous designs featured no such logo. It’s worth noting that much of the design is rendered in broken lines, meaning the placement of certain features could change, but given the amount of time Sonos’ wireless headphones have been in development, we’ll bet this patent offers something close to a final blueprint. 

Another notable difference on this patent is what looks to be an earphone adapter, which could suggest replaceable ear cushions for the headphones. A USB-C port, various buttons and a 3.5mm audio port are also visible in the new drawings.

An illustration from a patent for Sonos earbuds (Image credit: Sonos)

There’s no guarantee that the first Sonos headphones will be over-ear cans. In May 2021, we heard that Sonos could be working on a pair of true wireless earbuds, according to a patent discovered by Zats Not Funny(via Pocket Lint). 

The patent describes two different wireless earbuds designs, as well as three options for charging cases with some novel approaches to extend playtime, including detachable battery plates.

The fact that Sonos recently acquired RHA – a company that specializes in in-ear headphones – lends credence to the idea that the first Sonos headphones will be a pair of true wireless earbuds. In any case, the company is clearly looking to branch out into more product categories.

Whatever kind of headphones we get, Sonos products typically follow a sleek, minimalist design aesthetic, in black and white color variations. 

We’d expect to see more of the same from the first Sonos headphones, with minimal external hardware and a slick user interface, perhaps making use of touch sensitive housings that allow you to control your music playback without digging your phone out of your pocket.

Sonos headphones features

The headphones will reportedly integrate with your existing Sonos system. (Image credit: Sonos)

While patents aren’t guarantees that a product will see the light of day, the filings we’ve seen have given us an idea of some of the features we might see from a pair of Sonos headphones. 

The first is wireless connectivity via Bluetooth – we’d imagine that Sonos would opt for the latest Bluetooth 5.2 codec to ensure strong connections, as well as aptX Low Latency for video and gaming. 

Interestingly, the first Sonos headphones could also come with support for Wi-Fi connections. A patent granted to the company was spotted by Digital Trends, and it suggests that Sonos is looking at how to implement Wi-Fi connectivity in a similar way to its speakers. 

The patent, which is describes a “cable retraction mechanism for headphone devices” discusses the engineering that would be needed to implement Wi-Fi antennae in a set of headphones. 

As Digital Trends points out, Wi-Fi with a decent range would require an antenna in each earcup – and these would need to be connected to each other with a hidden cabling system running through the headband of the headphones. 

This means the first Sonos headphones could come with a pretty chunky headband. The patent says that “a cable assembly containing each of the required conductors for the improved wireless headphones discussed in the examples described herein may be greater than 4 mm in diameter. This is almost twice the diameter of a typical headband cable in a Bluetooth-only headphone.”

While headphones manufacturers have avoided Wi-Fi in the past due to the extra weight and bulk it requires, this mightallow for the first Sonos headphones to deliver hi-res audio and truly lossless streams – something that Bluetooth can’t do (unless you count Qualcomm’s aptX Lossless codec, which should start appearing in new headphones this year).

The first Sonos headphones will apparently be able to swap music with the company’s speakers – just like the Sonos Roam (Image credit: Sonos)

In any case, the first Sonos headphones are expected to work within the company’s wider ecosystem. In fact, the most interesting feature revealed in the patents we’ve seen so far describes how the wireless headphones might interact with existing Sonos speakers, with what the company calls ‘swapping’.

“For example, if a particular piece of content play is currently playing on the wireless headphone, a swap changes the playback to play that piece of content on one or more other playback devices on the local network.”

So in theory, you could be listening to music on your Sonos headphones and swiftly switch that music over to your Sonos Bluetooth speaker, whether it’s part of a multi-room audio system or a standalone smart speaker like the Sonos One or the Sonos Move.

It’s certainly an exciting prospect that would really set the rumored headphones apart from the competition – while the Apple AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 3 are able to do this with the HomePod mini, Apple’s audio ecosystem is nowhere near as comprehensive as Sonos.

Plus, we know this technology works. The Sonos Roam and Sonos Move are both able to ‘swap’ audio to other Sonos speakers, and can automatically switch between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity.

The patent we’ve seen also describes noise-cancelling tech, which is an increasingly sought-after feature for over-ear headphones. Hopefully, Sonos will employ adaptive noise-cancelling as seen with the Sony WH-1000XM5; this clever tech adapts the level of noise cancellation to your environment in real time, ramping up for loud environments and turning down for quiet environments. 

The headphones will also apparently come with built-in microphones to allow you to summon your device’s voice assistant – it’s also possible that a voice assistant (either Google Assistant or Alexa) could come built-in to the headphones directly, as with previous Sonos speakers.

As for the audio specs? We simply don’t know yet – but if Sonos applies the same level of care to its first headphones as it does to its speakers, you can expect an immersive, powerful sound, with plenty of detail and rumbling bass. And, if we’re lucky, they’ll come with spatial audio support like the Apple AirPods Max and Sony WH-1000XM5. 

You might also like

Spotify could turn off personalized recommendationsThe best wireless headphones you can buy right nowHere’s what we’re expecting from the Apple AirPods 4

Read More