Think of this week as the calm before the storm. Apple revealed that it will have a ‘week of announcements’ to share from Monday, and rather let the cat out of the bag as to what those might be by suggesting that we ‘Mac our calendars’. So yes, clearly next week we’ll meet new M4 MacBook Pro models, plus, probably, a new Mac mini, and maybe an iMac.
All very exciting – but we’re even more interested in the roll-out of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1, also happening next week, chiefly because they’ll see the first Apple Intelligence features hit the devices of the many users who haven't download the beta. These will include Writing Tools, Smart Replies, and a redesign of Siri, with more to come in 18.2, including Genmoji, Image Playground, Visual Intelligence, and ChatGPT. We’ve already tried some of these features in beta form, and you can read our initial thoughts on them in the articles linked below.
Sticking with Apple – sort of – we also got our first look at Severance season 2. The hit Apple TV Plus show returns to our screens in January, and we can’t wait. In the meantime we’ll have to console ourselves with what's out there now, and you'll also find our regular round-up of new TV shows and movies to stream this weekend linked below.
Away from Apple-land, our phones editors Axel Metz and Philip Berne found the time to attend Qualcomm’s annual Snapdragon Summit in Hawaii – it’s a hard job, being a tech journalist. You'll find their coverage of the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip launch, plus a report on how Qualcomm tech could revolutionize the driving experience, and much more if you scroll down.
Apple has confirmed that iOS 18.1 will be rolling out to the masses next week, and with it the first flurry of Apple Intelligence features – as long as your phone is set to US English, anyway. Find out what's coming your way with the first wave of Apple AI.
Next week is going to be a big one for Apple announcements, Apple exec Greg Joswiak has suggested: as well as the launch of iOS 18.1, we're also expecting to see several Mac models get refreshed with the M4 chipset, and new Magic accessories too.
We've been playing around with the image-generation capabilities of Meta AI – which you'll find inside Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp – and it's one of the best and easiest to use options out there, especially when it comes to free AI services.
Qualcomm has unveiled the Snapdragon 8 Elite, the chipset which will be powering the most powerful Android phones of 2025 – and if you're wondering what makes it a level above the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, we've got all the details for you.
Halloween is almost here, so it's time to get spooky with TechRadar's Halloween-themed week. Not fond of being scared silly? There are plenty of less-frightening movies and shows to stream this weekend, including Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5.
