This week we went to MWC and were treated to some major Nothing and Apple launches including the Apple MacBook Neo.
There’s a lot of news coming from the tech world this week, so we’ve had to bump or usual seven-story-long ICYMI to a whole nine articles, so we have no time to dilly-dally in this intro.
9. We reviewed the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Samsung pulled off a neat trick with its Galaxy S26 Ultra. It’s not a reinvention and, at a glance, could be mistaken for the S25 Ultra. However, it made key updates to lenses, image processing, design, materials, and raw power that should please most Galaxy fans (all without raising the price). The new phone is also over-stuffed with AI, but certainly makes some of the best use of on-board Gemini. However, it’s two other bits of innovation that lift the S26 Ultra above all other Androids: Privacy Display and Super Steady Horizontal Hold. The former is the first smartphone hardware-based privacy screen, and the second, well, you have to try this “gimbal in your smartphone” to believe it.
8. ChatGPT was cancelled over its Pentagon deal
Could ChatGPT one day power autonomous killing machines? That’s the question many are asking after OpenAI signed a deal with the Pentagon after Anthropic’s Claude was labelled a “supply chain risk” for making that one of two red lines in its rejected version of a similar deal.
OpenAI claims that it shares Anthropic’s belief that AI shouldn’t make the decision to kill a person, or be used for mass surveillance of US citizens, but leaks suggest its deal with the Pentagon is a little looser than Anthropic’s would have been — with OpenAI’s version saying the Pentagon must follow the law and its internal guidance, both of which could be changed by the US government and Pentagon officials in the future.
As a result users have abandoned ChatGPT in droves, and switched over to Anthropic’s AI in what appears to be a ringing endorsement of its AI ethics. Though as Anthropic is reportedly in talks to make a deal with the Pentagon after all we’ll have to wait and see if it too makes compromises.
7. Somehow Xbox returned
If you told us the Xbox Series X / S was the last proper Xbox console — with future launches merely branded versions of other hardware like with the Xbox Meta Quest 3 and Asus Rog Xbox Ally X — we’d be inclined to believe you, but it seems a new Xbox is in fact in the works.
Three weeks after Asha Sharma replaced Phil Spencer as CEO of Xbox he teased new hardware codenamed Project Helix. He explained “Project Helix will lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games,” suggesting it’ll be a PC console hybrid similar to Valve’s upcoming Steam Machine. This might also explain why Sony is abandoning its plans to release PlayStation games on PC; Xbox might not mind where you play its titles, but Sony clearly doesn’t want you to enjoy its games on Xbox consoles.
Little else is known about Helix for now, but the fact it’s coming at all is enough for now.
6. Nothing made great sequel headphones
Nothing just unveiled its second pair of headphones, and they’re something of a miracle. The Nothing Headphone (a) are way cheaper than its first pair, the Headphone (1), yet are somehow a better pair of headphones. The sound is more expansive and fun, the battery life is so long that it’s basically the best of any headphones you can buy, and the design is way less divisive.
Despite all the improvements, they’re half the price of the earlier headphones in the UK, and are a third cheaper in the US. They’re the platonic ideal of what you want from the follow-up to a product that was a bit of a miss, and might rank among the best headphones of the year.
5. Nothing released a new budget-phone, and it’s a hit
We reviewed the Nothing Phone (4a), the latest budget-friendly device from one of the most stylish tech brands around. In our four-star review, we raved about the (4a)’s stand-out look, which includes a fancy new Glyph Bar and array of attention-grabbing colorways.
This model’s more than just a pretty face, though. Its Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 processor delivers very solid performance indeed, and its streamlined UI is a joy to use. The (4a) also packs a higher resolution, brighter display, and larger battery than its predecessor. It’s not quite perfect, though – we had a few qualms about camera quality, and it would have been good to see wireless charging on-board.
4. We saw the best of MWC
Another year, another Mobile World Congress; this year’s MWC was, as always, jam packed with mobile tech and we went through all of it to find the very best in show.
Honor, Nothing and Samsung impressed us with their smartphones, including the Honor Magic V6 — a new thinnest-ever foldable — and the Nothing Phone 4(a), which is still fun and affordable.
There were also some exciting concept designs which may never see the light of day but are award-worthy nonetheless, like the Lenovo ThinkBook Modular PC Concept.
3. The mid-range iPhone 17e arrived to battle the Pixel 10a
It might lack the novelty and dazzle of the MacBook Neo, but the iPhone 17e might just be the most spectacularly sensible thing Apple announced this week. The mid-range phone is a modest update, with an A19 chip, new C1X modem and MagSafe charging being the main upgrades from the 16e.
But those quality-of-life upgrades all support the main headline here — the iPhone 17e costs the same as its predecessor, starting at $599 / £599 / AU$999. That’s a pretty good deal for upgraders who don’t mind missing out on an ultra-wide camera, and makes this phone a strong rival for the slightly cheaper Google Pixel 10a.
2. The iPad Air, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro all got refreshes
It was a huge week for Apple launches — and while the MacBook Neo was the only truly new release, we did also get spec bumps for three of its most popular products. The iPad Air M4 is effectively last year’s M3 model with a new chip (30% faster, apparently) and more modern connectivity including Wi-Fi 7.
And if you’re in the market for a new MacBook, well done for waiting until March. The MacBook Air M5 now has Apple’s latest base chip, and it might just be the world’s best all-round laptop (if we can forgive it for that small price hike).
Lastly, the MacBook Pro is now available with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, and even comes with 1TB storage as standard, though you may want to shield your eyes from its price tag. The M5 Max version starts at $3,599 / £3,599 / AU$5,799) — that’s the same as six MacBook Neos.
1. Apple revealed the US$599 MacBook Neo
It had been rumored for months, but it was still a surprise when Apple revealed its cheapest-ever MacBook this week. The MacBook Neo is a fun, colorful Chromebook rival that runs on an A18 Pro chip — and it starts at only $599 / £599 / AU$899.
We haven’t yet fully tested the Neo to see how it performs, but our early impressions were good. In fact, we’ve already branded it “the most important product of 2026” so far, mainly because it’s landed in the context of a RAM price crisis and a dearth of compelling Chromebook rivals. Whether it’s also one of the best products of the year remains to be seen.
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hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector)
