This week we went to MWC and were treated to some big Nothing and Apple launches, including the Apple MacBook Neo.
There’s a lot of news coming out of the tech world this week, so we’ve had to bump or usual seven stories long ICYMI into a whopping nine articles, so we don’t have time to dip into 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 it could be mistaken for the S25 Ultra at a glance. However, it did make important updates to lenses, imaging, design, materials and raw power that should please most Galaxy fans (all without raising the price). The new phone is also overflowing with artificial intelligence, but certainly makes some of the best use of Gemini on board. However, it is two other pieces of innovation that elevate 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 latter, well, you have to try this “gimbal in your smartphone” to believe it.
8. ChatGPT was canceled due to 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 labeled a “supply chain risk” for making one of two red lines in its rejected version of a similar deal.
OpenAI claims it shares Anthropic’s belief that AI should not make the decision to kill a person or be used for mass surveillance of US citizens, but leaks suggest its agreement with the Pentagon is a little looser than Anthropic would have been – with OpenAI’s version saying the Pentagon must follow the law and its internal government guidance, both from the US government’s guidance and the Pentagon.
As a result, users have left ChatGPT in droves and switched to Anthropic AI in what appears to be a ringing endorsement of its AI ethics. Although Anthropic is reportedly in talks to strike a deal with the Pentagon after all, we’ll have to wait and see if it also makes compromises.
7. Somehow the Xbox returned
If you told us that the Xbox Series X/S was the last real Xbox console – with future launches just 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 looks like a new Xbox is indeed on the way.
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 will be a PC console hybrid similar to Valve’s upcoming Steam Machine. This may 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 their games on Xbox consoles.
Little else is known about the Helix at the moment, but the fact that it’s coming at all is enough for now.
6. Nothing made good successor headphones
Nothing just unveiled its second pair of headphones, and they’re nothing short of a miracle. The Nothing Headphone (a) is far cheaper than its first pair, the Headphone (1), but is somehow a better pair of headphones. The sound is more expansive and fun, the battery life is so long it’s basically the best of any headphone you can buy, and the design is far less divisive.
Despite all the improvements, they are half the price of the previous headphones in the UK, and is 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 be 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 eye-catching look, which includes a fancy new Glyph Bar and an array of eye-catching colors.
However, this model is more than just a pretty face. Its Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 processor delivers a very solid performance and its streamlined user interface is a joy to use. (4a) also has a higher resolution, brighter screen and bigger battery than its predecessor. It’s not quite perfect though – we had a few concerns about the camera quality and it would have been nice to see wireless charging on board.
4. We saw the best of MWC
Another year, another Mobile World Congress; this year’s MWC was jam-packed with mobile technology as always, and we sifted through it all to find the very best of the show.
Honor, Nothing and Samsung impressed us with their smartphones, including the Honor Magic V6 – a new, thinnest foldable ever – and the Nothing Phone 4(a), which is still fun and affordable.
There were also some exciting concept designs that may never see the light of day, but are nonetheless commendable, such as the Lenovo ThinkBook Modular PC Concept.
3. The mid-range iPhone 17e arrived to battle the Pixel 10a
It might lack the new 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 these quality-of-life upgrades all underpin 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 it makes this phone a strong rival to the slightly cheaper Google Pixel 10a.
2. iPad Air, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro were all updated
It was a huge week for Apple’s launches – and while the MacBook Neo was the only truly new release, we also got specification bumps for three of its most popular products. The iPad Air M4 is actually last year’s M3 model with a new chip (apparently 30% faster) and more modern connectivity options including Wi-Fi 7.
And if you’re in the market for a new MacBook, well done 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 the slight price increase).
Finally, the MacBook Pro is now available with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips and even comes with 1TB of storage as standard, though you might want to shield your eyes from the 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 unveiled the $599 MacBook Neo
It had been rumored for months, but it was still a surprise when Apple unveiled its cheapest MacBook ever this week. MacBook Neo is a fun, colorful Chromebook rival that runs on an A18 Pro chip – and it starts at just $599 / £599 / AU$899.
We have yet to fully test the Neo to see how it performs, but our early impressions were good. In fact, we’ve already labeled it “the most important product of 2026” so far, largely because it’s landed in the context of a RAM price crisis and a lack of compelling Chromebook rivals. Whether it is also one of them best This year’s products remain to be seen.
