This week was a big one for software as we got official (and unofficial) teases for the next iteration of Android and iOS.
We also heard that the seemingly ill-fated Trump Phone was indeed coming after all, though we wouldn’t be surprised if it’s delayed again by the time you read this.
7. Has the Trump phone landed?
Last week, we highlighted reports that the Trump Phone appeared to have cemented itself in the vaporware category — with its new terms of service suggesting that a device may never ship and that pre-orders don’t guarantee you a product. That now seems to have changed as the company announced “Phones Start Shipping This Week!!!”
Now, until devices are in the hands of the people who bought one, you’ll forgive us for remaining skeptical – the device’s release date has been moved up a few times now, and some people with pre-orders have previously been told shipping deadlines have been missed.
We’re writing ICYMI on Friday, so it’s very possible that by the time you read this Saturday morning, the Trump phone situation will have changed again, but hopefully this is the end of the Trump Phone saga. Although we can’t shake the feeling, this might just be the end of the first act.
6. Philips made TV immersion cheaper
Smart lighting doesn’t just come with added convenience; it can also be an immersion booster for home entertainment with gadgets like the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 8K — but if you’re looking for something more budget-friendly, Philips just debuted a non-Hue sync box.
The Philips Smart Lighting HDMI Sync Box 2.1 comes in two sizes — one for 55 to 65″ TVs and one for 75 to 85″ TVs — and instead of working with the HUE system, it integrates with WiZ-branded technology.
At less than half the launch cost, this lightning-fast solution could be perfect for the more budget-conscious among you who still want the immersion factor offered by TV sync technology when it starts rolling out in June.
5. Claude cracked a crypto wallet
A Bitcoin owner who thought he had permanently lost access to nearly $400,000 worth of cryptocurrency says Anthropic’s Claude AI helped recover the funds after more than a decade. The user had originally purchased 5 Bitcoins when the cryptocurrency was worth around $250 each, but later changed the wallet’s password while in college and forgot it. After years of failed attempts – including trying trillions of password combinations – the owner uploaded files from an old computer to Claude as a last ditch effort.
It was able to find an older wallet backup file that existed before the password change happened. Combined with an old mnemonic phrase that the user had recently rediscovered, the recovered wallet file finally allowed access to Bitcoin again.
4. The Insta 360 Go 3S went retro
This week we saw the craziest camera kit of 2026 so far: a retro bundle of the Go 3S.
The action camera is ideal when you need something small – it can fit into pretty much any small space, much easier than its competitors – but this kit makes it look like an old Polaroid. You get a viewfinder dock to help you compose shots (it doubles as a selfie mirror), but no LCD screen.
If you want a more modern feel and easier composition, the camera can still be paired with a smartphone via the Insta360 app.
The Go 3S Retro Bundle costs $300 / £279 / AU$470 for the 64GB version or $320 / £299 / AU$500 for the 128GB version. The latter feels like the obvious choice – you want as much internal storage as you can get because there’s no card slot.
3. Ninja’s Slushi turned out twice as nice
What’s better than a Ninja Slushi? How about two side by side so you can make double-flavored, multi-colored iced drinks at home? This week, Ninja released the Slushi Twist, which makes two different types of slush at the same time, then dispenses them in an attractive swirling pattern. Having two freezer compartments means it has a much larger capacity than the original Slushi, making it perfect for parties.
The Slushi Twist is on sale now in the US for $399.99, and while we don’t have international release dates yet, I’m sure it won’t be too long before it’s available worldwide. It certainly proved popular and the first batch of stock sold out within hours. Don’t worry though, you can sign up on Ninja’s website to be notified when more arrive.
2. iOS 27 was teased
Siri 2.0 has been a long (long!) coming, but Apple’s revamped voice assistant finally looks set to debut in iOS 27 – and this week we got a better idea of what it might actually look like.
According to Bloomberg’s resident Apple tipster Mark Gurman, Siri 2.0 will largely live on Dynamic Island, displaying transparent scorecards in response to your queries. If you need to dig deeper into a query, you’ll be able to swipe that score card to bring up an iMessage-like chat interface, and there’ll also be a dedicated Siri app where you can access your conversation history or upload photos and documents.
Other rumored iOS 27 features include an updated AI-powered Spotlight Search tool and a redesigned Image Playground app, so it sounds like Apple could finally be taking a seat at the AI table.
1. Android 17 was shown off
Just a week before Google I/O kicks off, the Android team dedicated an entire show to debuting new features to be released with Android 17, a boatload of Gemini integrations, and a brand new platform.
In terms of Android, 17 is set to bring a lot, including a new bid to limit screen time and ease phone addiction called Pause Point. Instead of just locking you out of an app, it can display images or suggest a breathing exercise. There’s also an easy way to film screen captures with your own talking head in the corner, which can be really handy for content creators.
Gemini Intelligence is set to make AI even more useful and helpful across a whole slew of tasks, and frankly, it sounds pretty close to what Apple promised with Apple Intelligence. This new suite of AI functionality, integrated at the system level of the operating system, will also be found on future Googlebooks. Essentially, these new laptops run a combination of Android and ChromeOS. And while this is a ton, it’s likely we’ll hear even more about it at Google I/O.
