Week in Review: Apple's island of innovation in an ocean of iteration
Plus: GoPro is back in action, and Amazon rekindles the Kindle | Samsung outflanks Apple on the watch front… again | Why didn't they call it the iSland?
Created for techradar.com@quicklydone.com | Web Version
Hello everyone! I’m back after handing the reins to Lance and Matt for the last few weeks while I’ve been on holiday, and then out in California covering the iPhone 14 launch.
I’m glad that you've had the chance to get to know Lance and Matt a bit better. Why’s that? Well, some sad news: next Friday will be my last day at TechRadar, after nearly 15 years at the site.
So, in a rather self-indulgent move, next week’s Week in Review will be a retrospective of my favorite stories we've covered during my time here, taking in everything from early iPhone launches to the latest developments in the tech space.
If there's any device or topic you'd particularly like me to include, please do email me, remembering to include NEWSLETTER in the subject line. It would be great to have a bumper comments section next week too!
Gareth Beavis, Global Editor-in-Chief
Just the Facts, Ma'am "I stopped watching the news, so sick of the bias. Was searching for an alternative that would just tell me WHAT happened, with NO editorializing. I found it. It's called 1440. It assumes you are smart enough to form your own opinions." Join for free.
The body composition analysis feature on Galaxy watches offers a host of useful stats (Future)
I’ve been spending all week (including some time laid up in bed with a bug) testing the new Apple Watch 8, and while our review is still ongoing, I’ve already seen enough to know that this is only an iterative update, with little to get excited about beyond a new temperature sensor to help women monitor their menstrual cycle – although it’s great that Apple has made this a headline feature.
However, the lack of innovation elsewhere really shows, especially compared to Samsung’s recent watches. Our Fitness Editor Matt Evans has been trying out the new Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, and he’s hugely impressed by the body composition analysis feature, which Samsung introduced on the Galaxy Watch 4. This accurately showed Matt his body fat, basal calorie burn (making it easier to fuel for exercise), and more – key pieces of information that anyone who’s serious about fitness should want to see.
It’s surprising that Apple is yet to introduce a similar feature on its wearables, instead focusing on blood oxygen monitoring as a headline feature. Perhaps Apple doesn’t think the feature can be accurate enough to be genuinely useful, but I’d love to see it on the next Apple Watch.
The Dynamic Island has been introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max (Apple)
I’ll be honest, I was so underwhelmed by the iPhone 14 this year. I’m not talking about the whole lineup, to be clear; but the new base-model iPhone was just so iterative, much like the aforementioned Apple Watch 8.
However, I enjoyed my hands-on preview time with the iPhone Pro Max 14 at Apple’s launch event, and Lance Ulanoff’s in-depth review tells me my instincts weren’t far off the mark: he adores the phone. And, having had the chance to use it for more time, I have to agree.
The camera is great, battery life seems strong again… but it’s the fact the notch has been replaced by the new Dynamic Island that I’m most enjoying. The ‘notch’ now moves, and can stretch, and bounce, and do all kinds of things to make it feel less like a hole in the screen and more like a useful feature.
It’s even, this soon after the phone’s launch, attracted the attention of game developers – which shows there’s a lot of interest in what can be done with this exciting new feature.
Free eBooks and Resources
Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our sponsors
The Hero 11 Black brings some key upgrades over its predecessors (GoPro)
Another feature that’s new to the iPhone 14 range is the Action mode for video: Apple says footage captured with this mode can rival action-cam video shot using a gimbal for smoothness, and it certainly looks impressive.
But GoPro is not one to go gentle into that good night, and has unveiled the Hero 11 Black, reminding us that there’s really no substitute for a dedicated action cam if you want to shoot dynamic footage of your adventures and sporting endeavors.
The new camera has impressed our Cameras Editor Mark Wilson, with highlights including a new sensor that makes it easy to upload clips for TikTok, Instagram and YouTube from footage, a new super-wide lens, and a Horizon Lock feature that keeps the horizon in place even when you rotate the camera through 360 degrees.
With a massive battery, sturdier case, and a suite of new software features, this is an impressive showing from the biggest name in the action-cam world – even if it’s still struggling a bit with audio performance.
iOS 16 brings enhanced features to your iPhone's lock screen (Apple)
The days when Apple would show off its new software in June, and then nobody would get to see it until September, are long gone – these days, with beta previews widely available soon after the announcement, the surprise is somewhat ruined by the time the release date rolls around.
I always wait until the new iPhones launch to experience the latest version of iOS, and I have to say I’m enjoying iOS 16 a lot. The new lock screen features are a nice touch, and you can now have more ‘interactive’ displays of images and widgets (although developers need to get their act together and start making more widgets for this – the selection is poor right now).
Focus modes, designed to keep you from getting distracted, have been enhanced and – forgive me for getting so excited about something so trivial – the battery percentage can now be displayed in the corner of the screen, without you needing to swipe down, a feature that disappeared when the iPhone X and the notch first appeared.
Yes, there have been some issues at launch, but they’ve been pretty minor. If you’ve got an iPhone that’s eligible for the upgrade, and that’s most iPhones, you should upgrade now.
Retro charms: the new Nokia 5710 XpressAudio (Future)
Ah, this story hit me right in my retro-tech-loving feels. My time on TechRadar has taken in the original Nokia phones, the rebooted Windows Phone days, and the re-imagining of the older Nokias, like the 3310, under the HMD Global brand.
The latest phone to carry the branding, the Nokia 5710 XpressAudio, is amazing for a number of reasons. First, it’s got a pair of true wireless earbuds ITALIC inside the casing, which you take out when you want to listen to your tunes. Second, it’ll last for weeks on a single charge – that’s the kind of Nokia prowess I’m used to. And third, it’s got Snake Xenia on board.
And I’ve got a lot of love for that name – the XpressAudio name is a riff on XpressMusic from days gone by (and it’s so close to it that I’m wondering if there’s a licensing issue there), and it’s given me one of the stories I want to talk about next week.
Tune in for next week’s newsletter for more on this one.
Amazon has updated its entry-level ereader (Amazon)
The Amazon Kindle will, surely, come to be viewed as one of the greatest inventions of all time. Its simplicity, functionality and affordability mean users can have access to millions of books on the go for a reasonable cost – and Amazon just keeps making it better.
I remember the panic when the first Kindle launched, with many predicting that it would mean the end for physical books, and that we’d all end up reading in virtual reality or something. In fact, book sales have thrived since the Kindle’s launch; but, while I’m glad that the paperback seems to be here to stay, I do love a Kindle.
When I need to read a book for research, or want to read the latest sequel as soon as I finish a book in a series, this is the way to do it simply – and the new Kindle 2022 seems pretty nifty, offering more storage, a crisper screen and longer battery life. Even taking into account the small price hike that Amazon has given its entry-level ereader, this feels like a move to lock in a whole new generation of Kindle lovers.
I’m pretty sure I’m about to make myself look rather stupid here, but that’s why I ask you all to email me – it’s your chance to put me straight.
So, I was reading this story about the giant crater in Arizona, which was created by an meteorite that struck Earth millions of years ago – and it has me puzzled.
It’s an interesting piece, explaining how for years various agencies have found amazing ways to learn about our planet’s history from this hole in the ground, and are still making new discoveries. Go read it, it’s great.
But here’s my question: what happened to the asteroid? Was it a glancing blow? Did it break apart into little pieces and blow away on the wind? Was it taken away years later by some intergalactic clean-up crew?
I’ve done some research, but I can’t seem to find the answer. Again, I know that most of you are going to be guffawing at your screen right now – but I need to know.
The Sign Off
Right, that’s enough from me for this week – I’ve got to get started on my (very self-indulgent) list of highlights from my time as staff writer, Phones Editor, UK Editor-in-Chief and now Global EIC at TechRadar.
Have a good weekend, and let’s meet for one last time next week!
Sharing TechRadar with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free.
