Google I/O is starting next week to usher in a new era of Android (get ready for some major AI, XR, and Android 16 news), but before then, we still have plenty of tech news stories to cover from the past seven days.
Samsung launched an ultra-thin phone, DJI gave us a best-in-class drone, and the boombox returned. To catch up on all that and more, scroll down to see the week’s seven biggest tech stories.
Once you’re all caught up, be sure to check out our picks for the seven new movies and TV shows to watch this weekend (May 16).
We touched the Galaxy’s Edge
After months of teasers, we finally went hands-on with the Galaxy S25 Edge, and as our hands-on review calls it, the Samsung phone for people who love to hate Samsung phones.
As US mobile editor Philip Berne wrote, “The Galaxy S25 Edge is the solution to a very simple formula. Take a Galaxy S25 Plus. Shave 1.5mm off the thickness by removing the zoom camera and shrinking the battery. Add a 200MP camera sensor. Wrap it in titanium. Voila: Galaxy S25 Edge!”
The thinness and lightness are something you have to experience for yourself. The design has already won over several of our writers and our social media editor, who believes it not only looks fantastic but feels great in your hand.
The DJI Mavic 4 Pro took flight
We’ve tested the latest DJI drone, and it has certainly impressed with fantastic flight performance, speed, and power, making it hands-down the best Mavic drone to date.
That’s why our DJI Mavic 4 Pro review awarded it a full 5 stars.
The camera can be tilted in almost any direction, making it super versatile, it boasts a fantastic triple lens setup, and the bigger battery means you can fly it for longer between charges, meaning it offers an unparalleled degree of creative options for your next film.
It’s not just a great DJI drone, it might simply be the best drone you can buy right now.
Garmin unveils a pair of new Forerunner watches
We were expecting one new Garmin Forerunner to drop very soon, but Garmin has gone and surprised us with two new specialist running watches. The Garmin Forerunner 570 and Garmin Forerunner 970 offer some new tools, such as a speaker and microphone (all the better to take quick calls on-wrist while working out), a new Evening Report, and Garmin’s brightest AMOLED displays yet. The 970 packs extra features like a titanium bezel, some unique new metrics like Running Tolerance and an ECG function. If that’s not enough, we also got a new heart rate monitor, the HRM 600, which can work with the 970 to generate those advanced running metrics.
It’s all flashy, cool-looking stuff, but these devices aren’t cheap: the 570 costs $549.99 / £459.99 / AU$999 while the 970 clocks in at $749.99 / £629.99 / AU$1,399. We’re looking forward to testing, but our first instinct is that either would be a great performance boost for serious runners and owners of, say, the much older Forerunner 945 – however, those who own more recent Garmin watches probably won’t be tempted to upgrade.
The boombox is back
Don’t call it a comeback.
The new We Are Rewind GB-001 is a bona fide cassette boombox complete with modern upgrades like Bluetooth 5.4, a 3,000mAh battery perfect for 10 hours of speaker playback, and 104W of power – more than our classic boombox ever had.
It looks like everything you could ask for, frankly, perfectly combining 2020s and 1980s tech into a package that we’re very excited to try out when we can. We know it’ll launch at the very reasonable £379 / €449 (about $505 / AU$781), but for now, there’s no confirmed release date.
Streaming had a big week
It’s been another busy week in the world of entertainment. Indeed, not only have we been treated to a new Superman trailer and the first official teaser for Marvel’s Ironheart TV show, but also a wealth of big announcements at this year’s Upfront ad-based trade show.
And when we say big, we mean it. From the news that Max will be rechristened HBO Max once more in mid-2025, and a whole host of TV show renewals by Netflix, there’s been plenty to read about over the past week.
Huge as those reveals are, though, we were most impressed with Disney’s Upfront 2025 presentation. If you missed them, you can catch up on the seven biggest Disney+ and Hulu announcements here. Believe us when we say you’ll want to do so, too!
Google gave Android a makeover
Ahead of Google I/O next week Google hosted the Android Show, offering us a glimpse at the interface changes coming with Android 16.
We didn’t see any new devices running the software (urgh!) but the new Material 3 Expressive guidelines call for an extensive use of color, motion effects and a whole host of visual cues that feels like they’re directly targeting 18-24 year olds – read: the most stalwart iPhone fans.
In its official blog post, Google says, “It’s time to move beyond ‘clean’ and ‘boring’ designs to create interfaces that connect with people on an emotional level.”
We’ll have to see how this approach plays out when Android 16 starts rolling out later this year.
Apple CarPlay Ultra finally hit the road
Apple’s next-gen CarPlay system was supposed to land back in 2024, but after an extended software pitstop, it’s finally arrived – well, if you own a new Aston Martin SUV, at least.
CarPlay Ultra is currently only available on the new Aston Martin DBX, but its debut has given us a taste of what’s coming to other cars (including those from Hyundai, Kia, and more). And that is a slick, iPhone-style software experience that takes over your car’s whole infotainment system.
As with iOS, you can tailor CarPlay’s color schemes and wallpapers, but you can also tweak the climate control, radio stations, and heated seats, all from the same place. It’s about time, but hopefully we won’t have to wait another year for it to get a wider rollout.
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hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector)
