It’s been another packed week of tech news, and TechRadar has covered all the stories that matter: the Prime Day deals, Apple price hikes, new devices from Oura and Sonos and more.
If you haven’t been able to check in regularly on our site, this weekly ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) round-up is here to get you up to speed. You can browse the important headlines below and click on the links for the full articles.
Sit back and review the past week below, and we’ll be back this time next week for another ICYMI recap.
7. We scoured the Prime Day deals
You may have noticed that it’s been Amazon Prime Day this week – it’s now spread over several days, of course – and the TechRadar team has been busy searching across all Amazon categories to bring you the best deals: we’ve found discounts on TVs, laptops, headphones, smartwatches, smart home gadgets, tablets and more.
No matter what your tech needs are at the moment, our US and UK roundup sites have a range of deals to suit, and many of these discounts are really substantial – and many are still running. Along with the latest prices and links for each product, we’ve also included our expert advice in each case, so you know exactly why which deals are worth pursuing.
6. We reviewed Oura Ring 5
The Oura Ring 5 is a significant step up from its predecessor: it’s slimmer, lighter and more durable, as well as offering extra battery life – and according to our review, you might even forget you’re wearing it. Oura has managed to refine the appearance of the device to look like a normal piece of jewelry, even with the advanced sensors inside.
“It’s easily the most stylish and accurate smart ring out there,” says our review, although it’s not perfect, and there’s the usual Oura subscription fee to consider if you want access to most of the tracking features. If you’re wondering if the Oura Ring 5 is the right wearable upgrade for you, we’ll tell you everything you need to know below.
Meta has treated us to a slew of new smart glasses, starting at $299 / £269 / AU$599 and developed in collaboration with EssilorLuxottica. We’ve got all the details here, including how they feel to wear and a breakdown of the design and color variations you can choose from – you certainly can’t complain that there aren’t enough choices in this batch.
We’ve also got comments from Meta CTO and Head of Reality Labs Andrew ‘Boz’ Bosworth, who outlined the company’s vision for a smart-spec future, saying “it’s pretty easy to make glasses that don’t look good, it turns out”. It appears to be a humorous dig at some of Meta’s rivals in the space, but see what you think of the new Meta line of glasses.
4. We’ve reviewed the latest Sonos speaker
The Sonos Era 100 SL wireless speaker is more affordable than the Era 100 that launched before it, but as our detailed review will tell you, Sonos has been able to pull this off without compromising. Most importantly, the quality of the sound does not decrease, even if the price drops, so you still get a top-class listening experience.
Our review takes you through every aspect of the Era 100 SL speaker, from how easy it is to set up initially, to the kind of performance you can expect from it – with London Grammar and DJ Shadow included among the artists whose music we used to test – praising “quality sound”, “great connectivity” and “iconic design” along the way.
3. Steam Machine got an official price tag
It’s been a long wait for the Steam Machine, but we’re almost there, and now know that the starting price is set at $1,049 / £879 / AU$1,609, and we can thank the RAM crisis-driven price increase for that. If a Steam Machine is still within your budget, you’ll be able to place an order from June 29, more than seven months after it was first announced.
If you don’t think that’s good value, then we’ve put together a guide to building your own Steam Machine alternative below. You get full control over the budget and specs of the components you choose, and it can be a lot of fun too (as we can say with confidence given the years of PC building experience on the TechRadar team).
2. Apple revealed its painful price hikes
Speaking of the RAM crisis, it also hit Apple: The company has raised the prices of many of its products, including iPads, MacBooks and even the HomePod. The recently launched MacBook Neo, for example, now has a starting price of $699 instead of $599 in the US – a not insignificant increase of $100 or 17% in a single jump.
We’ve got all the details on how much more expensive each Apple gadget is now, with these price increases taking effect immediately at the official Apple Store. We’ve also got some ideas on where you can still find these Apple products at their original prices from third-party retailers – although you’ll have to move fast to get your hands on them.
1. GTA 6 pre-orders finally went live
After two significant delays, GTA 6 finally goes on sale on November 19th, and you can get your pre-orders in now for PS5, Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S. You’ve got a $79.99 / £69.99 Standard Edition and a $99.99 / £89.99 Ultimate Edition to choose from, and we’ve got all the right links here for the US and UK for you.
We’ll also keep an eye out for any bundles these stores offer, meaning you can pick up the game and a console at the same time – so check back often if you’re interested. Excitingly, pre-orders are now live for what could be the video game of the decade, and we only have five months to count down to launch day.
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