We’re through another week, and boy, was this a big one in the wild world of technology.
The big event of the week was, of course, Meta Connect 2025, where we were introduced to three new smart glasses. We also saw the arrival of a new DJI drone, and we reviewed Apple‘s latest tech.
Scroll down to catch up on all seven of the top stories from the past week.
7. A lesser-known audio brand impressed us
Budget audio specialist Soundpeats has just announced a new pair of affordable earbuds that are a lot higher in spec and design class than most of its releases.
Despite costing just $129 (they will launch globally, but no prices have been announced yet), they pack in a triple-driver sound system, plus hybrid active noise cancellation and Snapdragon Sound, aptX Lossless, and LDAC higher-res wireless. These have a fancier spec list than AirPods Pro 3 in a lot of ways.
The design is also a real eye-catcher, with a gold-accented look and chunkier design than some rivals that looks more like something you’d expect from high-end in-ear monitor earphones than a pair of budget wireless buds.
These are a statement of intent from an earbuds maker that’s been improving rapidly over time, and the Soundpeats H3 really deliver high-end features for a mid-range price. They’re definitely one to watch – our full review is coming soon.
6. Amazon set a launch date for its new Echos and Kindle
If you’ve been thinking about buying a new Echo smart speaker or Kindle e-reader, we’d suggest holding off for ten days. Amazon told us this week that it’s hosting a big hardware event on September 30, and we’re expecting to see new launches in both of those categories, among others.
Our in-depth dissection of Amazon’s teaser image (check out the link below) concluded that a new Echo Studio speaker, color Kindle, Echo Buds earbuds, and Fire TV sets are the most likely arrivals. But there will likely be an even bigger horde of new gadgets that are designed to work with its new Alexa+ voice assistant, so it’s definitely a date for your tech diary.
5. The DJI Mini 5 Pro took off
With its new drone, DJI redefined what mini drones can do, thanks to its class-leading 1-inch sensor plus great flight features that are somehow squeezed into a 249.9g body to fly under the restrictions imposed on bulkier fliers.
It’s so impressive, in fact, that our Cameras editor wonders if DJI has created a problem for itself, because he’s left wondering if anyone will want any of its other consumer drones.
To make things even better, the drone is a very good value for the money. The standard DJI Mini 5 Pro bundle comes in at just £679 / AU$1,119 (US pricing and availability TBC), which seems almost ridiculous for the feature set you’re getting.
4. We fell in love with the iPhone 17
We reviewed the latest Apple gadgets, and of the iPhone 17, we said it “feels like the best standard iPhone in years, with Apple bringing long-overdue Pro features like ProMotion and Always-On to a more affordable model.”
Our tester also loved the new A19 chip, the bigger screen size, upgraded cameras, and the new iOS 26, on which the device can rely.
All of these positive things to say are why we believe the iPhone 17 is the one most people should be buying, especially since, for the same price as last year, you get twice as much storage.
3. iOS 26 brings a major rework
In the run-up to launch day for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air, Apple has released iOS 26, the biggest iPhone software update in years. Launching alongside iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe 26, the update revamps the iPhone experience in some unexpected – even controversial – ways.
iOS 26 brings updates to the Photos and Messages apps, new customizations, helpful new power settings, and a fully redesigned UI based on Apple’s virtual Liquid Glass material. It’s the redesign – which unifies Apple’s UI aesthetic across iOS,iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS – that has garnered the biggest reactions so far, with some users professing their love for the new look and others reporting eye strain and related issues.
As for new features, Apple has reworked some staple apps. The camera app has been redesigned with a simpler look, the Photos app gets new tabs and collection management, and Apple Intelligence gets improvements for Visual Intelligence and Live Translation.
We unfortunately missed out on new Quest headset VR hardware this year at Connect, but Meta didn’t ignore VR entirely.
James Cameron, the world-famous movie director, came on stage to hype up the Quest’s performance as a home entertainment machine and almost spoiled the future of Meta’s hardware. We also saw updates to Horizon Studio and Horizon Engine, which should be very handy for VR world creators.
We also saw the debut of Horizon TV, which will serve as a one-stop hub within Quest headsets for video content and heralds the arrival of Disney+ to Quest after its Apple Vision Pro exclusivity.
The star of Meta Connect was the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, which have a full-color display for the first time from Meta specs. This screen can help you with navigation, translation, and even do video calls, though Meta’s live demo didn’t go as planned…
It also gave us Gen 2 Ray-Ban Meta glasses (without a display), and also Oakley Meta Vanguard specs – a smart visor which aims to bring useful tools to athletes, like Garmin connectivity for hands-free fitness updates, and automatic capture of your milestones like every mile of a marathon.
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hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector)
