Month: July 2022

Here’s what we know and what we want to see in the next iPad Air from Apple.

Apple’s latest iPad Air, the iPad Air (2022) or iPad Air 5, is now over a year old, so it’s no surprise that rumors are beginning to emerge about the iPad Air 6.

The iPad Air 6 won’t necessarily be the next new iPad on the shelves – successors to the iPad 10.9 (2022), iPad mini (2021) and iPad Pro 12.9 (2022) could all arrive first – but the Air line remains extremely popular for those who want a powerful iPad in an ultra-portable package.

Apple’s iPad Air tablets sit below the Pro line, bringing svelte designs but with not-quite-top-end displays and processing power. They’re good options, then, for anyone after a premium tablet that doesn’t demand the biggest bucks (though, being Apple products, iPad Airs don’t exactly come cheap, either). 

To give you an early idea of what to expect from the iPad Air 6 – which we expect to launch in the next 12 months – we’ve put together this one-stop-shop guide to all the latest news, rumors and predictions, which we’ll be updating throughout the year.

Cut to the chase

What is it? Apple’s next mid-tier tablet

When is it out? Likely in early 2024

How much will it cost? Around $599 / £569 / AU$929

iPad Air 6: release date and price

(Image credit: TechRadar)

We haven’t heard a great deal of rumored information surrounding the ETA of the next iPad Air, nor much surrounding its price, but we can make some educated guesses based on the release dates and prices of previous iterations.

The fourth- and fifth-generation iPad Airs came two years apart, so it stands to reason that the next one will arrive two years after March 2022. That’d make the release window for the iPad Air 6 the first half of 2024.

Regarding the price, it’ll likely cost the same amount as the last one – that started at $599 / £569 / AU$929, but the cost went up for more storage.

iPad Air 6: news and rumors

The main rumors we’ve heard surrounding the iPad Air 6 so far concern its processor, which we expect to be Apple’s recently released M2 chip. 

Tipsters including Revengus (below) have claimed that Apple’s next-gen iPad Air will swap the M1 chip boasted by its predecessor for the M2 chip currently found in the best MacBooks and the iPad Pro 12.9 (2022), meaning it’s safe to expect significant performance improvements from the iPad Air 6.

We’re not yet sure whether Apple will ship the iPad Air 6 with an 8- or 10-core GPU (as in the latest iPad Pro), but given that the iPad Air is positioned as Apple’s mid-range iPad option, opting for the former GPU size could keep costs down. 

As for the iPad Air 6’s design and display, we’re not expecting too much (if any) variation on the iPad Air 5. The addition of ProMotion panels with mini-LED technology on the iPad Air 6 would be a nice touch, but these Pro-level features would inevitably cause the mid-range iPad’s price to skyrocket. 

For our money, the iPad Air 5 already boasts a good enough design and display for its mid-range price point, anyway. 

iPad Air 6: what we want to see

(Image credit: TechRadar)

1. A more distinct identity

The biggest problem with the 2022 iPad Air is that it’s just too close to the iPad Pro. Most buyers will struggle to know which to buy, or which is best for them – in fact, it makes the Pro a little redundant thanks to its lower price.

Apple is going to have to work out a better way to make the next iPad Air unique, so that it’s not too similar to the Pro. Perhaps we could see it get a more mid-range specs sheet as well as a lower price, to make it more accessible.

2. More storage

The current iPad Airs start with 64GB storage, which, for a tablet with a top-end chipset, simply isn’t enough.

That’s not enough space to have many games downloaded, or to have loads of files to work on or edit, and so it’s not really clear why this version even exists.

It makes the price seem a little disingenuous, too – sure, the $599 / £569 / AU$929 entry price seems low, but if you’re only getting a little storage space for that money, no-one will buy another iPad Air at that price.

3. A bigger battery

An issue we found in the last iPad Air – and most other iPads, if we’re being honest – is that the battery life wasn’t amazing. It wasn’t bad, per say, but it certainly wasn’t good either.

If you’re wanting to wander around coffee shops to do work, or take your iPad to your studio to use as a second screen, you really want a device that’ll last a long time. Current iPads don’t always do that.

We’d like the next-gen version of the iPad Air to use a bigger battery – perhaps alongside some optimizations to squeeze the most out of that power – to ensure it has a chance of landing on our list of the best iPads.

Read More 

We’re expecting to see a trio of Oppo Find X6 phones in 2023. Here’s what we’ve heard and what we want from them.

The Oppo Find X6 line could comprise some of the best phones of 2023, with the Oppo Find X6 Pro, in particular, potentially counting among the most technically advanced handsets we’ve ever seen.

The upcoming series doesn’t have the same level of hype around it as, say, the OnePlus 11 line – let alone the Samsung Galaxy S23 or iPhone 14 – but there’s every chance the Oppo Find X6 will be able to compete with all three models in terms of specs and performance (for context, the Oppo Find X5 Pro is already one of the best phones around).

Below, we’ve rounded up everything we know so far about the Oppo Find X6 and its Pro and Lite siblings. We’ve also included a list of the things we most want to see from the Oppo Find X6 line to make it as good as possible.

Cut to the chase

What is it? The next line of flagship Oppo phones

When is it out? Probably March 2023

How much will it cost? Unknown

Oppo Find X6: release date and price

While there’s been no official word on the Oppo Find X6’s release date, yet we can take a good guess, as the Oppo Find X5 and Oppo Find X3 lines (there was no Find X4) went on sale in March of their respective launch years.

So, March 2023 seems a highly likely launch month for the Oppo Find X6 – along with the Oppo Find X6 Pro and Oppo Find X6 Lite, since the standard model, Pro and Lite were all announced at the same time in the Find X5 line.

In terms of the phones’ availability, we don’t expect the Oppo Find X6 Pro to be released in the US, UK or Europe, with a China-exclusive launch looking likely – to begin with, at least. We’re not sure if the Oppo Find X6 will ship to regions outside of China, but the rumors regarding its more expensive sibling don’t bode well. 

The lack of US availability for the Oppo’s Find X6 Pro isn’t much of a surprise, mind. Oppo doesn’t have any retail partners in the US, and neither does it operate its own US storefront. We were, however, holding out hope for some form of release outside of China. The Oppo Find N2 Flip launched in Europe last month, so it’s disappointing to hear that the Find X6 Pro won’t follow suit. 

The Find X6 will probably land a year after the Find X5 (Image credit: Future)

There’s no information on what the Oppo Find X6 line might cost, but the phones could have similar prices to their respective predecessor’s. 

For reference, the Oppo Find X5 starts at £749 / AU$1,399 (around $920), the Find X5 Pro costs £1,049 / AU$1,799 (roughly $1,285), and the Oppo Find X5 Lite costs £399 / AU$799 (around $490).

In any case, the prices above probably won’t be exactly right for the upcoming models, but we doubt the Find X6 line will be much more expensive, as the Find X5 and Find X5 Pro are already on the pricey side for the specs they offer.

Oppo Find X6: news and leaks

The biggest leak so far is for the Oppo Find X6 Pro, and comes from leaker Yogesh Brar, who revealed many of the possible specs on Twitter.

Apparently the Oppo Find X6 Pro has a 6.7-inch 2K screen, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, 8GB or 12GB of RAM, 128GB, 256GB or 512GB of storage, Android 13, and a 5,000mAh battery with 100W wired charging and 50W wireless charging.

The phone also apparently has a triple-lens rear camera with a 50MP main sensor, a 50MP ultra-wide one and a 50MP telephoto one, along with Hasselblad tuning and a 32MP front camera. The main snapper is also said to have a large 1-inch sensor, which was corroborated in March by serial leaker Ice Universe (see tweet below). 

It’s possible that the phone will charge even faster than the leak above suggests, though, as Oppo has unveiled both 150W and 240W charging tech – though it hasn’t confirmed that either technology will appear in this line of phones. The latter, however, can fully charge a 4,500mAh battery in just 9 minutes.

That said, it’s not looking likely, as a certification for two Oppo phones (likely the Find X6 and Find X6 Pro) lists the former as charging at 80W and the latter at 100W. Leaker Digital Chat Station has also added that the Oppo Find X6 Pro apparently has a 5,000mAh battery, echoing the above, and that the standard model has a 4,800mAh one.

Speaking of the standard Oppo Find X6, reputable leaker @evleaks has posted a render supposedly showing the phone, which you can see below, complete with a massive camera block housing a triple-lens snapper.

The phone has also been spotted in live photos, supposedly showing a test unit and shared on Weibo. You can see one of these images below too.

According to leaker Digital Chat Station (via GSMArena) this camera is made up of three 50MP snappers – a wide, ultra-wide, and periscope.

According to Nikkei Asia meanwhile, Oppo might start putting its own chipsets in smartphones from either 2023 or 2024, so there’s a chance these could be ready in time for the Oppo Find X6 line. Current models use a mix of Snapdragon and Dimensity chipsets, which are the main two chipset lines used by most Android phone makers.

It’s unclear whether Oppo’s own chipsets would be any better, but this switch could help the company avoid shortages and disruptions.

Oppo Find X6: what we want to see

The Oppo Find X5 line is largely impressive, but there are certainly ways that the Oppo Find X6 series could be a lot better, including the following.

1. A longer distance zoom

Even the Oppo Find X5 Pro has a disappointing zoom (Image credit: Future)

While the Oppo Find X5 Pro is a top-tier smartphone in many ways, it’s lacking on the zoom front, with just a 2x optical zoom. Most high-end handsets have at least three times, and some such as the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra go all the way up to 10x.

So, we’d like to see at least 3x zoom on the Oppo Find X6 Pro – but even longer distance optical zoom, or a range of zoom levels, would be better. Ideally those changes would also come to the standard Find X6, as the Find X5 is stuck at 2x optical zoom as well.

2. Lower prices

The entire Oppo Find X5 line is quite expensive for what you get, particularly considering that Oppo doesn’t quite have the brand name appeal of Samsung or Apple. So if the company really wants to compete in 2023 then we’d like to see lower prices for its next wave of phones.

That’s especially true for the Find X6 and Find X6 Pro, as they’re sure to be competing with heavy hitters like the Samsung Galaxy S23 line and the OnePlus 11 Pro.

3. Water resistance

The Oppo Find X5 lacks water resistance (Image credit: Future)

The Oppo Find X5 Pro has water resistance, but the standard Oppo Find X5 doesn’t, despite carrying a fairly high-end price.

We can live with no water resistance on the Lite model, but we really want to see some on both the Oppo Find X6 and the Find X6 Pro, as many rivals at these sorts of prices do have it, and when you’re spending that sort of money you don’t want to have to fear a little rain.

4. A microscope camera

The Oppo Find X3 Pro had an unusual camera setup in that it included a microscope camera, which let you take super-close-up pictures of tiny details. We were disappointed to find this absent from the Find X5 line, as while it’s a bit of a novelty it works well and helped the Find X3 Pro’s cameras stand out.

So we’d love to see it make a return – perhaps with some improvements – for the Oppo Find X6 line.

5. Wider availability

The Oppo Find X5 and its siblings aren’t sold in the US, which is a real shame, as they’re excellent smartphones that are sure to appeal to many people there.

It’s probably unlikely that the situation will change for the Oppo Find X6, as gaining a foothold in the country likely isn’t easy, but we’d love to see Oppo try.

Check out all the best Oppo phones

Read More 

We detail Amazon’s Prime Day return policy.

Amazon’s Prime Day sale event is coming to an end in most regions, so either you’re anxiously awaiting your new packages or possibly lamenting a missed opportunity to do some serious shopping. 

In any case, millions of Amazon shoppers will have flocked to the online retailer’s virtual storefront over the past 48 hours in the hope of securing discounted smart home devices, kitchenware, pet supplies and other popular items – but not every Prime Day customer will be entirely happy with the products that eventually arrive at their door.

So, you may be wondering whether you can return the stuff you bought on Prime Day to Amazon – but don’t fret! You’re in the right place. We’re detailing everything you need to know about the retail giant’s Pride Day returns policy.

Let’s start with the most important thing: Amazon’s Prime Day returns policy is the same as it is on any other day of the year. In other words, there is no Prime Day-specific returns policy. 

The majority of items bought through Amazon – including all Amazon devices –  typically can be returned within 30 days of purchase, and the same is true of products bought during Prime Day. Sometimes, Amazon will process returns requested between 30 and 60 days after purchase, but the retailer may charge a restocking fee in such instances. 

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Dennizn)

Of course, not all items are treated equally. Downloaded software, prepaid game cards, personal care products and so on can’t be returned at any time of the year anyway, and you can check out this list for a more detailed breakdown of Amazon’s non-returnable items.

Not all returnable purchases qualify for free returns, either, but those products that do include free returns will have a bold message saying so next to their price listing.

It also goes without saying that a return processed after Prime Day will only result in a refund equivalent to the price paid at the time of purchase (i.e. the deal price) – you can’t pick up a discounted item and expect a full-price refund a week later. 

So there it is: Prime Day on Amazon is just like any other day on Amazon (save for the thousands of discounted items) and doesn’t impact your right to return purchases you’re unhappy with. 

If you’re still on the hunt for some last-minute Prime Day deals, head over to our Amazon Prime Day 2022 hub for the latest and greatest savings.

Read More 

Here’s everything you need to know about Stranger Things season 5 on Netflix.

Stranger Things season 5 feels like a long way off at this point. The wildly popular Netflix show’s final entry is coming, sure. But, with filming not set to begin until mid-2023, it’ll be a while before it debuts on our screens.

While we wait for one of the best Netflix shows to return, though, there’s plenty for you to read up on. In this guide, you’ll find all of the most important details about Stranger Things 5, including its potential release date, returning cast members, plot points, and more. We’ll also dive into the franchise’s future, too, and the spin-off projects that are already in development – including a stage play, which will arrive on London’s West End (initially, anyway) in late 2023.

Here, then, is everything worth knowing about Stranger Things‘ fifth season on Netflix. Full spoilers follow for Stranger Things season 4.

Stranger Things season 5 release date: what we know

When will Stranger Things season 5 be with us? (Image credit: Netflix)

Stranger Things season 5 doesn’t have a release date. Script work began in August 2022 and the first episode’s title was unveiled in November. It’s called The Crawl, and we have four big theories on what Stranger Things 5’s first episode title could mean.

A Netflix Queue profile piece on star Millie Bobby Brown revealed filming will begin this year, while Noah Schnapp confirmed principal photography will start in May (via Twitter user simplytomh).

Even if filming begins that month, don’t expect Stranger Things 5 to air before late 2024 – and that’s being optimistic. With lots of post-production work required once principal photography wraps, we’d be surprised if it arrives earlier. Finn Wolfhard – who plays Mike Wheeler – suggested it wouldn’t arrive until 2025 (per GQ’s YouTube channel), so set your launch date expectations accordingly.

As for the length of each episode, the Duffer brothers (Stranger Things‘ co-creators) plan to make them shorter than season 4’s entries.

Stranger Things season 5 cast

Eleven will definitely be back for Stranger Things 5. (Image credit: Netflix)

Here’s who we expect to see in Stranger Things season 5:

Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven
Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers
David Harbour as Jim Hopper
Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler
Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson
Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair
Noah Schnapp as Will Byers
Sadie Sink as Max Mayfield
Joe Keery as Steve Harrington
Natalie Dyer as Nancy Wheeler
Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers
Maya Hawke as Robin Buckley
Brett Gelman as Murray Bauman
Priah Ferguson as Erica Sinclair
Eduardo Franco as Argyle

Other supporting characters could feature in Stranger Things season 5. Karen Wheeler (Cara Buono), Ted Wheeler (Joe Chrest), Lieutenant Colonel Jack Sullivan (Sherman Augustus), Vickie (Amybeth McNulty), and Suzie (Gabriella Pizzolo) might appear, but we don’t know in what capacity.

Additionally, Doctor Sam Owens (Paul Reiser) was left handcuffed to a pipe in the subterranean Nina Project, while Vecna (Jamie Campbell-Bower) disappeared after being severely injured by Nancy, Steve, and Robin. Both should return – they’re too important not to – but Netflix hasn’t confirmed they’ll be back yet. Dmitri Antonov (Tom Wlaschiha) and Yuri Ismaylov (Nikola Duricko) aren’t likely to return, in our view.

Eddie Munson (Joe Quinn) won’t be back, either. He died in the season 4 finale, and executive producer-director Shawn Levy has told The Hollywood Reporter it’s “highly unlikely” Eddie will return.

Don’t expect new characters to be introduced, either. The Duffer brothers told IndieWire they only introduce new characters if they’re going to be “integral to the narrative”. And, with Stranger Things season 5 primarily focusing on the core cast, that’s unlikely to happen.

Stranger Things season 5 plot

Stranger Things season 5 has plenty of plot threads to wrap up. (Image credit: Netflix)

Little is officially known about Stranger Things 5’s plot. However, speaking during the Stranger Things season 4 volume 2 unlocked episode, the Dufferss teased some aspects of its overarching story.

“It’s going to be unlike any other season,” Matt Duffer suggested. “We’re starting season 5 and things are already going. In the way Max was impacted by [season] three and how that impacted her narrative in four, Dustin has been impacted a lot by the death of Eddie, so that’s going to impact his storyline in five. We’re going to see a side of him we’ve not seen before. It’s also going to be like season one on steroids.”

“Our characters are going after Vecna from minute one,” Ross Duffer added. “We have a lot to do, in terms of a few more revelations, and also we need to make sure we give our characters time to make these final arcs.” 

Interestingly, the Duffers also revealed they’ve rewritten parts of season 5’s story outline (per Netflix Tudum), based on fan feedback, which slightly alters the series’ ending. On Twitter, the Stranger Things writing team suggested the fifth season “is like if season 1 and season 4 had a baby. And then that baby was injected with steroids”. A fun analogy, sure, but one that’s as intriguing as you’d expect.

Elsewhere, Stranger Things season 5 needs to tie up other notable storylines to give the series a satisfying conclusion.

For starters, our heroes will band together and try to stop Vecna and the Upside Down for good. They’re all back in Hawkins so, while they might break into smaller groups to cover as much ground as possible, they’re still effectively working together.

Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Matt Duffer said: “We want to go back to a lot things we did in season 1 and a lot of the original groupings and pairings that we had in season 1”. That’s what should happen, then, before our protagonists regroup for a final showdown with Vecna and the Mind Flayer.

Potential Stranger Things season 5 spoilers follow.

Vecna should return as the big bad in Stranger Things season 5. (Image credit: Netflix)

Speaking of Vecna, he was severely injured by Nancy, Steve, and Robin at Creel House. When the trio try to locate Vecna’s body, though, he’s nowhere to be found.

Vecna likely crawled away to recover. Technically, he was victorious at the end of season 4, too – Max died for a whole minute following his attack, opening four major gates to the Upside Down in the center of Hawkins, and allowing it to merge with the real world. So Vecna will want to finish what he started – i.e. destroying earth and replacing it with the Upside Down.

And what of Vecna/The Mind Flayer’s most notable victim, aka Will Byers? In a Vogue interview, actor Noah Schnapp dropped a big hint about Will’s season 5 arc, saying: “There’s a lot in store for Will. It ties back to where it begins, full circle. I’m excited for fans to see where we wrap his character. I think they’ll be really pleased, but also shocked.” Schnapp also told US magazine that Will is the “center point” of Stranger Things 5. He revealed to Forbes that season 5 will “end with Will”, which implies he’ll survive.

As for Max, we’ve suggested that Max’s story could go one of two ways in Stranger Things season 5. Following her near-fatal encounter with Vecna in Stranger Things season 4’s finale, Max is in a medically-induced coma in Hawkins Hospital. When Eleven went looking for Max in the Void, she couldn’t find her either, so Max’s fate is unclear.

Sink has since confirmed she’s as much in the dark as fans are about Max’s fate. She also said all she wants for Max is to “see her awake” (per The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon). Fingers crossed she gets her wish.

Regarding other possible character deaths, Eleven and Mike seem like they’ll make it through Stranger Things season 5. However, Finn Wolfhard said he’d be open to Mike dying under one condition (via GQ). Hopper, Joyce, and Will have all been through a lot (much like Eleven), so we suspect they’ll make it out alive. Everyone else, though, is fair game as far as we’re concerned. Season 5 is going to be the deadliest yet, which implies some main characters will bite the dust.

Brown claims she doesn’t actually want Eleven to die, despite initially joking that she’d like to see it happen. Meanwhile, Maya Hawke, who plays Robin, told NME she’d “love to die and get my hero’s moment”. Natalie Dyer hopes Nancy will live to tell the tale, though (via Cosmopolitan).

Teasing what else fans can expect, Matt Duffer told TVLine that season 5 will likely feature a time jump, before revealing (via the Happy Sad Confused podcast) it’ll get right into the action from its first episode. That’s before a tense and captivating final few episodes, which he describes as being Lord of the Rings-esque in tone.

“It [the season 5 finale] is going to be Return of the King-ish with eight endings,” he said. “If you just watch Return of the King, it feels like too many endings. [But] if you watch all of them back-to-back, which I’ve done multiple times, it’s exactly right. If it were any shorter, it would feel cheap and wrong.”

There are other subplots that needs wrapping up, too. 

Lieutenant Colonel Sullivan is surely still tracking Eleven, believing she’s responsible for the deaths in and around Hawkins. Meanwhile, we need to see how Eddie’s death impacts the usually jovial Dustin – Gaten Matarazzo teasing in the season 4 volume 2 unlocked episode that “it’s going to be rough for him to find a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Additionally, we need to know why the Upside Down is seemingly stuck in 1984. We still don’t have all the answers about what the Upside Down is, why it’s spookier and more dingy than the realm Henry Creel first traveled to, or what The Mind Flayer is exactly. Speaking on the season 4 volume 2 unlocked episode, Ross Duffer said those queries will be answered.

Then there’s the loose end concerning number eight – aka Kali Prasad. We haven’t seen Kali since season 2 and, unlike every other test subject under Doctor Brenner’s supervision (who had telekinetic abilities), she had different powers. Why was she the odd one out? And will we ever see her again? It’s possible that Stranger Things season 5 won’t answer these questions. After all, the Duffers have confirmed they’ve retconned some early season plot points in later instalments,(via Variety). So maybe Kali’s story is just one of those lingering mysteries we’ll never get closure on.

Stranger Things season 5 trailer

Waiting on that Stranger Things season 5 trailer like… (Image credit: Netflix)

There’s no trailer yet. Once one is released, we’ll update this section.

The future of Stranger Things

There’s more Stranger Things content on the way. (Image credit: Tina Rowden/Netflix)

Stranger Things season 5 will bring the curtain down on the show’s main story – and, in our opinion, David Harbour is right – it’s time for Stranger Things to end. 

However, there are other projects in the works at Upside Down Pictures, aka the Duffers’ newly formed production company. Upside Down Pictures will develop movies and TV shows exclusively for Netflix, including two Stranger Things spin-offs.

The first of those is a stage play. It’ll be called Stranger Things: The First Shadow, and it’s set to debut on London’s West End in late 2023 (tickets are on sale now). A prequel to events depicted in the main series, The First Shadow is set in 1959 and will tell the tale of the Creel Family’s arrival in Hawkins. We’ll also get to see Jim Hopper and other notable characters in their teens. As good as that sounds, though, we think this spin-off of Stranger Things season 5 is about to hit the big Marvel and Star Wars problem.

There’s no concrete information on the second spin-off, but Netflix states that it’ll be an “original idea” from the Duffers. We don’t expect it’ll feature characters from the mainline series, either, but we’ve come up with five Stranger Things spin-off ideas that could work.

For more Stranger Things-based content, check out these five shows that you should watch while we wait for season 5’s arrival.

Read More 

Seeing reviews that are really too good to be true? They may be fake.

With Amazon Prime Day comes great excitement – and, of course, plenty of fantastic deals. 

However, things are never quite so simple on the internet, where bad actors are always ready and waiting to leap at the opportunity for a quick buck.

Fake reviews, from falsified Apple App store reviews to dangerous extensions on the Google Chrome Store make it difficult as a consumer to identify the truth when making buying decisions.

That’s not to say all customer reviews out there are fake – plenty of users take the time to legitimately express their thoughts, but when the time comes to finally splash your savings on a Prime Day deal, it’s important to consider that not all is always as it seems.

Amazon tackling fake reviews

Amazon is no stranger to review stuffing (where positive reviews are published as a favor, or in return for ill-gotten gains) and has been at the center of media attention on the matter.

These forged reviews take various forms; from small-scale operations involving falsified reviews from family and friends all the way to large operations with businesses dedicated to the sale of bulk fake Amazon reviews. Previously, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has even had to weigh in against fake review groups on social media sites.

Things were made even more confusing when Amazon introduced global ratings into the product review section, which pooled together reviews from around the world. In some countries, the product available has very different specs, and in some cases completely different.

Plus, with the removal of the comments section and the addition of one-tap reviews, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to verify the validity of customer feedback.

While we can’t say for sure it’s fake, this review we found while shopping for wireless headphones is an example of how fake reviews can be very vague without commenting on any specific elements of the product.  (Image credit: Future)

Amazon does regularly remove fraudulent reviews, and even ceased operation of its Chinese marketplace following difficulties in monitoring and growth. However, it’s fair to say it has a pretty mammoth task at hand, with a 2021 blog post from Amazon stating it has more than 300 million active customers and over 1.9 million selling partners worldwide.

According to the post, in 2020 Amazon stopped “more than 200 million suspected fake reviews before they were ever seen by a customer”, and over 99% of reviews enforcement was driven by proactive detection.

An Amazon spokesperson highlighted to TechRadar the company’s set of policies for both reviewers and selling partners, expressing a commitment to “suspend, ban and take legal action against those who violate these policies.”

The spokesperson added to this, saying Amazon uses “powerful machine learning tools and skilled investigators to analyze over 10 million review submissions weekly, aiming to stop abusive reviews before they are ever published.

“In addition, we continue to monitor all existing reviews for signs of abuse and quickly take action if we find an issue. We also proactively work with social media sites to report bad actors who are cultivating abusive reviews outside our store.”

How to identify fake reviews

While Amazon continues to work behind the scenes to minimize the impact of fake reviews, they seem to be here to stay in all corners of the internet. However, there’s plenty you can do to protect yourself.

There are some easy-to-spot red flags; overly promotional language, repeated reviews, reviews for an entirely different product, etc. Still, it can take a fair bit of legwork when you are trying to make a choice – especially a quick one on Prime Day. 

We spoke with Saoud Khalifa, CEO and founder of FakeSpot, as well as Tommy Noonan, founder of ReviewMeta, to learn more about the issues around fake reviews.

While Noonan noted ReviewMeta’s data hasn’t shown a change in the rate of fake reviews posted, Khalifa’s FakeSpot tool noted an influx of fake reviews over the course of lockdown in 2020. 

It’s impossible for Amazon to check if every product and review is legitimate

Tommy Noonan, founder of ReviewMeta

Where previously they made up an average of 25-30% of all global reviews, as of June/July 2020, this spiked to 40-45% according to FakeSpot’s data – a number Khalifa had never seen before.

He says the issue comes from the volume of sellers using the site as a “valet service”, claiming it is “impossible for Amazon to check if every product and review is legitimate or not.”

As highlighted in Amazon’s recent blog post, social media groups play a big role in the current fake review market. 

Noonan says sellers in these groups will pay members to purchase and review products: “Reviewers are using their own money to buy the product, so the reviews still have the ’Verified Purchaser’ badge.  

We tested out ReviewMeta on the Sony WF-1000XM4 wireless earbuds and the results were pretty promising (Image credit: Future)

Additionally, Noonan says, many sellers are incentivizing reviews by giving promotions away with packages. “They will use tricks like pre-screening customer feedback before asking for a review, and even asking people to change their reviews to 5-stars before they get the free gift. 

“This is against Amazon ToS, but I’m personally seeing a note like this in about 35% of my Amazon purchases.”

A fake Amazon branded voucher we received in a package within days of writing this article (Image credit: Future)

Beyond the surface-level information a consumer can pick up from a quick glance at a listing, there’s a lot of deeper information that can help to make an informed decision. 

Noonan highlights unverified purchases, “easy grader” reviewers who give everything 5-stars, batches of reviews in close succession, as well as the kind of language used in reviews as authenticity indicators that ReviewMeta checks for.

Aside from the quality issues that may come with cheaply made products slipping through the net on Amazon, there are legitimate concerns around how fake reviews can also mask counterfeit items. 

Khalifa highlights how there are counterfeits of everything from Apple products to gaming equipment and components from brands like Nvidia and AMD available on the site, purchasable in bulk from sites like Alibaba and Aliexpress.

Using components as an example, he says: “A lot of people question us when we give F-Grades to listings like these. It’s because the listings are known to have counterfeits on sale and use fake reviews to hide it. 

“You read the reviews, buy the product, and don’t expect it to be a counterfeit, but it’s an insidious problem that won’t show up until the component overheats.”

Thankfully, tools like ReviewMeta and FakeSpot provide customers with a way to more quickly and effectively shop safely on Amazon this Prime Day. 

You read the reviews, buy the product, and don’t expect it to be a counterfeit

Saoud Khalifa, founder of FakeSpot

ReviewMeta allows users to copy and paste any Amazon product URL into ReviewMeta.com to receive a complete analysis of the reviews.

Noonan says: “We leverage algorithms and data science to examine hundreds of millions of reviews and help identify suspicious patterns in the reviews.”

FakeSpot also has a site with a similar function, as well as a browser add-on for Chrome or Firefox and an app that augments the buyer’s journey as they shop online with a set of features. 

The first is FakeSpot’s review ratings, which uses an A-F grading system to score the reliability and trustworthiness of reviews. Next is FakeSpot Guard, a tool that highlights sellers known to trade counterfeit products, which was added in 2020 after the team identified a rise in counterfeit issues. Lastly is the highlights feature, which delivers the most crucial top-line review information for users.

We tested the exact same product on FakeSpot to compare the results, which were similarly positive. (Image credit: Future)

Amazon Prime Day is an exciting time to get a great deal – so make sure it’s actually a good deal you’re getting.

Whether it’s by remaining skeptical and investigating reviews yourself or using tools to do the legwork for you, it’s more important than ever to protect yourself online against deceptive promotional tactics.

If you see a review that you think might be fake, it’s important to report this to Amazon by clicking the ‘Report Abuse’ link that appears underneath the review.

Outside of Amazon, you can always read reviews on sites like ours, and keep up to date with what we’re saying are the best deals on Amazon Prime Day.

How to avoid buying a “fake” Fitbit on Amazon Prime DayTrying to buy a microSD card proved to me that Amazon is becoming a scammers’ paradise

Read More 

The Sony Xperia 1 V could be the best phone of 2023 – but it will need these changes first.

The Sony Xperia 1 IV was in many ways one of the most interesting phones of 2022, as it has features that you won’t find anywhere else.

But it’s also a flawed phone and one with an extremely high price, so there are certainly changes that we want to see for the Sony Xperia 1 V, and we’ve listed these below.

Before that though we’ve included details on when the Sony Xperia 1 V might launch, how much it might cost, and what specs and features it might have. We haven’t heard much yet, but as more leaks and rumors roll in, we’ll be sure to keep this article updated.

Cut to the chase

What is it? The next Sony flagship phone

When is it out? Probably mid-2023

How much will it cost? Expect a very high price

Sony Xperia 1 V: release date and price

Sony hasn’t been terribly consistent with its Xperia 1 line releases, so we can’t be too sure when the Sony Xperia 1 V will land, but one release date leak suggests it will be announced in May and go on sale in June.

For reference, the Sony Xperia 1 IV was announced on May 11 of 2022, then hit UK stores on June 16, so the Xperia 1 V could be on a similar schedule if the leak above is right. However, the US didn’t get the Sony Xperia 1 IV until September 1, and Australia didn’t get it at all.

So some regions may have a while to wait again this year (if they get the Xperia 1 V at all), especially as the leak is likely talking about the Chinese release date, which is typically earlier than other regions.

The announcement of the Sony Xperia 1 III was only slightly earlier the previous year, in April 2021 – but the phone didn’t actually go on sale anywhere until August. For the two models before that we saw a February announcement and a May on-sale date.

So what can we take from this? The Sony Xperia 1 V will probably be announced in the first half of 2022. Potentially in May since that would be a year after the Xperia 1 IV and has now been specifically leaked, but that’s far from guaranteed.

The actual release date is even tougher to guess at, since there’s sometimes a long delay after the announcement, but some regions might get it in or around June, and Australia probably won’t get it at all.

For price, the Sony Xperia 1 IV costs $1,599 in the US, which gets you a model with 512GB of storage. In the UK there’s only a 256GB version available, and this costs £1,299.99.

So the Sony Xperia 1 V might have a similar price, but we’re not sure. Hopefully, it won’t be any more expensive anyway, as the Xperia 1 IV is already one of the most expensive non-foldable phones you can buy.

The Sony Xperia 1 IV is seriously expensive (Image credit: Future)

Sony Xperia 1 V: news and leaks

There aren’t many Sony Xperia 1 V leaks yet, but we have now seen a leaked image that purportedly shows the back of the phone. You can see this below and it looks a lot like the rear of a Sony Xperia 1 IV, except that this time all the camera sensors are housed in the camera block.

There are changes to the selection of available lenses and sensors too. It’s still a triple-lens camera but those lenses look bigger, so some or all of them could be new.

There’s also now a hole for what’s presumably a microphone, but there’s no sign of the RGB IR sensor or the ToF (time-of-flight) sensor found on the Xperia 1 IV. We would however take this image with a pinch of salt.

(Image credit: Speckles)

We’ve also been treated to some unofficial renders of the phone in black and purple, which you can see below. A reliable source posted several images and a video of the Sony Xperia 1 V, matching up with the leaked image we’ve already mentioned.

Again, it doesn’t look as though much is changing from a design perspective. The same source also mentioned a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 5,000 mAh battery capacity.

(Image credit: OnLeaks/Green Smartphones)

Beyond that, there is evidence that the camera might be a major focus for Sony.

For one thing, Sony usually puts a lot of focus on the cameras of its flagships, but on top of that the company has said that it expects the quality of still images from smartphones to exceed those of DSLRs by the end of 2024.

That suggests it’s expecting big smartphone camera improvements in the next couple of years, and some of them will likely be evident in the Sony Xperia 1 V.

One such improvement might be a new sensor – possibly a new 1-inch sensor the company has unveiled, which has already been used in the Xiaomi 12s Ultra among other phones.

Sony Xperia 1 V: what we want to see

There are a few key things Sony can do to make the Xperia 1 V significantly better than the Sony Xperia 1 IV. They include the following.

1. A lower price

The Sony Xperia 1 IV is prohibitively pricey (Image credit: Future)

The Sony Xperia 1 IV is an astonishingly expensive phone, coming in at an even higher price than the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

While it has some specs and features that Samsung and Apple’s phones lack, it’s also inferior in some ways, and certainly priced in such a way that it’s never likely to be a truly mainstream handset.

So for the Sony Xperia 1 V we want to see a lower price. This will obviously still be an awfully expensive phone, but if Sony can knock a couple of hundred dollars/pounds off the price then it could shift a lot more units.

2. A better fingerprint sensor

Paying big money doesn’t guarantee you a good fingerprint sensor, and such is the case with the Sony Xperia 1 IV, which has a sensor that in our review we found to fail more times than it succeeded.

On top of that, the phone doesn’t even have an in-screen one – it’s side-mounted, which feels a bit dated. So for the Sony Xperia 1 V we want the fingerprint sensor to be much more reliable, and preferably also to be built into the display.

3. More polished software

The Sony Xperia 1 IV was buggier than we’d like (Image credit: Future)

In our review of the Xperia 1 IV we found that the software wasn’t quite as polished as the hardware, with apps crashing, an unfortunate amount of bloatware, and – worst of all – video playback simply not functioning on some of the video recording apps.

This stuff can all be fixed with updates of course, but for the Sony Xperia 1 V we want a slick and smooth experience out of the box.

4. Faster charging

The Sony Xperia 1 IV supports charging at up to 30W, which isn’t terrible – in fact, it has Apple and most Samsung phones beat, but it pales in comparison to many other handsets, some of which can now reach up to 150W.

So for the Sony Xperia 1 V we want a charging power boost. We’re thinking at least 60W, but the more the better, so we can juice the phone up quickly.

5. Longer distance zoom

One of the star features of the Sony Xperia 1 IV is its continuous optical zoom – letting you zoom to anything between 3.5x and 5.2x. This isn’t something you’ll find on other phones, but with such a fancy feature we’d like to see Sony make the most of it and increase the zoom level to around 10x, like the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.

That phone offers optical zoom at 3x or 10x, but if Sony can offer optical zoom at every level within that range, then it will have Samsung – and every other phone maker – beat on that front.

These are the best Sony phones

Read More 

Early 4th of July mattress sales and deals from Casper, Cocoon by Sealy, Saatva, Nectar and more.

2023’s 4th of July mattress sales are an excellent opportunity to save money on a new bed, and if you’re smart you can grab a discount in advance and relax on the day itself.

Some of the best mattress brands have already kicked off their 4th of July sales, and we expect many more to appear over the next couple of weeks. While we don’t expect discounts to be as big as we saw on Memorial Day, there are definitely some worthwhile savings to be had, including 20% off mattresses at Casper.

With so many mattress brands about it can be hard to keep track of all the sales; fortunately we’ll be gathering all the very best offers together here in the run-up to the 4th of July mattress sales. And because we’re constantly monitoring the latest mattress sales, we know whether a deal’s a good one or not; if it’s listed here then it’s worth your money.

Our 4th of July mattress sale guide includes only the top offers, chosen based on their value for money and how well we rated the mattresses during testing. Most come with free bedding bundles to boost your savings too.

Read on to discover the best deals available now, and bookmark this pages as we’ll be updating it regularly as we get closer to the 4th of July mattress sales.

4th July mattress sales 2022: quick links

Saatva: 15% off orders over $1,000 

Nectar: 33% off all mattresses 

DreamCloud: 40% off all mattresses 

Casper: 20% off all mattresses 

Bear: 35% off, free accessories 

Cocoon by Sealy: 35% off, free gifts 

Helix: 25% off, two free pillows 

Nolah: 30% off, two free pillows 

Awara: $400 off mattresses 

Big Fig: $400 off with BEBOLD code 

4th of July mattress sale: Expert’s pick

4th of July mattress sales: best early deals

Who has the best 4th of July mattress sale?

We’ve been tracking the July 4th mattress deals for a few years and while deals are available online and in store, the best sales are usually found online. 

That’s because online mattress manufacturers don’t have the cost of bricks and mortar stores, so they can pass those savings on to you in the form of cheaper prices. They normally bundle in free bedding gifts too, making them even more competitive compared to in-store sales.

Some of the best 4th of July mattress sales of 2023 come from Cocoon by Sealy, with its 35% mattress discount and $199 of free bedding, plus Nectar Sleep with its queen size mattress for $699 and up to $499 of free bedding. Casper’s 20% discount is a welcome deal from a mattress brand that doesn’t have sales running throughout the year, and while Saatva has yet to announce its 4th of July mattress sale, our expectations are that it’ll be worth your while if you have your eye on a luxury mattress.

Is July 4th a good time to buy a mattress?

TechRadar has extensive experience of reporting on mattress sales and we know from tracking them over the past few years that there are a few times each year that are better than any other for buying a new mattress. These are:

Black Friday
Cyber Monday
Presidents’ Day
Memorial Day
4th of July
Labour Day

Mattress prices rise in the summer months, making the 4th of July mattress sales your last big opportunity to secure a cheaper price before the summer price hikes kick in. From analysis of past trends, these prices then tend to remain at a higher level until Labour Day in September, when they fall again at the end of November with the advent of Black Friday mattress deals. Most of these then become Cyber Monday mattress deals. 

So if you need a new mattress and can’t wait until November, the 4th of July mattress sale events (found online and in store) are your best option this side of summer. Not all are worth buying though, so read our tips below on how to pick the best deal for you and avoid any duds. 

Bookmark this page too, as we’re including only the top sale offers. So while you might not see as many in our guide as you’ll find on others, these deals have been expert-approved. We’ve also included today’s cheapest prices for some of our favorite boxed and traditional mattresses below to help with your research.

How to pick the best 4th of July mattress sale

As with any other big shopping event, you’ll be bombarded with endless sale offers and deals. Brands will shout about how their 4th of July mattress sale is their best yet thanks to cheap prices and huge discounts, but how do you know if this is true or pure marketing hype? 

Here are our top tips for telling the difference between a great deal and a dud:

1. Check the price history of the mattress

If you’re buying on Amazon, you can use price tracking software such as Camel Camel Camel. Fact-checking prices when shopping direct from manufacturers is tricker but not impossible. 

One way to do this is to run a search for the mattress you’re interested in buying, plus the word ‘sale’ or ‘deal’. Only look at articles from this year as prices will naturally increase year on year. Also keep in mind that inflation is pushing up prices on lots of products, including mattresses, so higher prices are to be expected now regardless of the time of year. However if the 4th of July mattress sale price is considerably more than last month’s price, look elsewhere. 

TechRadar covers monthly sales from leading mattress manufacturers, so you could use our following guides in your research too:

Saatva mattress sales (handcrafted luxury beds for less)

Nectar mattress sales (a superb memory foam mattress)

Tempur-Pedic mattress sales and deals (good for hip and back pain)

Casper mattress deals (a bed-in-a-box that suits most sleepers)

Purple mattress deals (one if you overheat at night)

Nolah mattress sales (wide range of organic, hybrid and memory foam beds)

(Image credit: Getty)

2. Only buy a mattress if it has a trial period

This is non-negotiable for us, as a trial period means you can sleep on the mattress at home for a set period of time before fully making up your mind. Lying on a mattress in store for 10 minutes simply doesn’t compete with a proper at-home mattress trial, and depending on the online manufacturer or retailer you buy from, you’ll get a 100 night trial. 

Here’s something to watch out for though: if a brand offers free shipping and free returns, that trial is considered ‘risk free’. If the brand charges a returns fee (also called a processing fee), then it isn’t risk free as there’s a cost to you should you choose to return the mattress. 

3. Only shop a 4th of July mattress sale if the returns policy is clear

Any decent mattress manufacturer or retailer will include a link to their returns policy at the bottom of the main (homepage) of their website. It should contain the following information:

What the returns process involves
When you can initiate it (some brands won’t accept returns until you’ve slept on your bed for 30 nights)
Any associated costs to you
A link to the warranty information so you can see what is and isn’t covered if you keep your new mattress

If you’re interested in more bargains you can see our roundup of the best 4th of July sales from retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, Home Depot, and more.

Read More