When is a quiet week in tech not a quiet week in tech? How about right now. Because while this week lacked the huge launches of the previous one, it was still packed with big stories and impressive new tech.
For starters, we delivered our expert verdicts on the Apple devices that were revealed last week, and the MacBook Neo in particular blew us away. We also sat down for a long chat with Sonos‘ CEO as the audio giant launched two new speakers, and delivered our Google Pixel 10a review.
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7. DJI prepared the Avata 360 for liftoff
DJI‘s first 360-degree drone has long been rumored, and this week it finally broke cover. And though we don’t know everything about it yet, we do know its name, launch date, and one core spec.
The Avata 360, as it will be known, will be equipped with 8K video recording and will launch on March 26. Further specs, and the price, are yet to be revealed, but we’re already getting pretty excited about it.
It will compete against the excellent Antigravity A1, which debuted last year as the world’s first true 360-degree flying camera, but the Avata 360 will have an advantage over that rival in that it will settle into an already formidable DJI drone ecosystem. Watch this space for more info ahead of that launch date.
6. HBO started its global password crackdown
HBO Max’s password crackdown is going global according to the company’s CEO and president of global streaming, JB Perrette.
That means you may no longer be able to share an account with another HBO max user, unless you pay an extra member fee — though that option is currently only available in the US.
However, how much longer will HBO Max even be around? HBO Max’s future currently depends on whether regulators approve the acquisition of its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, by Paramount Skydance. According to at least one prominent media analyst, if that goes ahead then HBO Max could be shut down by the end of 2027.
5. Apple prepared its 50th anniversary celebrations
Apple will turn 50 in a couple of weeks, and Tim Cook has been teasing what the tech giant has planned to celebrate the occasion.
“In the coming weeks, Apple and its global community will celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary, recognizing the creativity, innovation, and impact that people around the world have made possible with Apple technology,” said Cook, before ending with a note to fans that “If you’ve taught us anything, it’s that the people crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
So, does that mean we should prepare for a crazy launch? The new MacBook Neo was impressive (see more on that below), but perhaps the company has something folded up its sleeve for April 1?
4. We tested Google’s budget Pixel
Even amongst the flashiest, most expensive tech there’s a place for a budget champion, and in the Android world the Google Pixel 10a is a strong contender for that title.
Our Managing Editor Jacob Krol put it through its paces over the past week or so, and as his review states, “it proves you don’t need big upgrades to make a great phone.”
So, while it doesn’t get a new processor or upgraded camera hardware this year — instead sticking with the Tensor G4 and the same dual-camera system as the Pixel 9a — it nails the basics: a comfortable design, strong battery life, bright display, and a dependable camera, all for a low price of $499 / £499 / AU$849.
3. And we tested Apple’s iPhone 17e too
Sticking in the world of budget smartphones, we also reviewed Apple’s iPhone 17e, and it too proved its worth as an affordable winner.
No, it doesn’t reinvent Apple’s budget iPhone approach, but it does bring some meaningful refinements to the iPhone 16e thanks to its A19 chip, double the starting storage at 256GB, and the long-awaited addition of MagSafe — all for the same starting price as the previous model.
The single rear camera will be a let down if you love taking snaps, and the display isn’t as crisp as the iPhone 17’s, but if you’re after an affordable iPhone there isn’t a better option based on our tests.
2. The MacBook Neo blew us away
The Apple MacBook Neo doesn’t sound like it should work. It runs on an iPhone chip, boasts just 8GB of unified memory, and includes ancient USB 2.0 technology. Yet the Neo manages to deliver an excellent MacBook experience — there’s zero macOS compromises, and it’s a far more capable machine than its budget counterparts running Windows 11 and ChromeOS.
Why? Well for a start the performance is solid. Yes, you’ll want to stick to Apple’s own apps over third-party alternatives and keep multi-tasking to a low level, but you can get a good level of utility out of this machine.
Then there’s the design, which is simply beautiful, with the Neo’s color being showcased across its aluminum shell, Magic keyboard, and even in macOS elements — plus the display is stunning.
And then there’s the price. At $599 / £599 / AU$899 it stretches the definition of budget a little, but compared to other MacBooks — or the Windows competition — it’s a steal.
1. Sonos gave us two new speakers — and some explanations
Sonos has not had a great time of it of late, with its disastrous and well-documented app relaunch leading to much criticism and, eventually, the replacement of its CEO in January 2025.
That was then and this is now, though, and this week Sonos released not one but two new speakers in the form of the Sonos Play and Sonos Era 100 SL. And, its current CEO Tom Conrad was eager to sit down with us and explain what went wrong in 2024, what its strategy is for the future, and why we should be excited about the new devices.
You can read our Managing Editor of Home Tech Matt Bolton’s full interview with Conrad here, and also check out Conrad’s insights into what went wrong with the Sonos app upgrade. But for now, let’s focus on the speakers.
The Sonos Era 100 SL is a new, more affordable version of the existing Era 100, but without microphones; so, it lacks the smart home functions of the original, but comes at a much cheaper price.
More interesting still, though, is the Sonos Play. This new portable speaker sits between the Roam and Move models in terms of price and characteristics, and Conrad thinks it might be the “Goldilocks” speaker. And we think he might just be right.
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hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector)
