Happy Sunday from New York City! I’ve spent a few days in the Big Apple, where I’ve been checking out new Samsung tablets (and a phone). It’s been a busy week around the world, though, with Xiaomi launching new phones in Berlin, Meta unveiling its next-generation AR, and some particularly sad news from the world’s biggest tech publisher based in the UK.

I’m also working hard on building the new Impact website and newsletter, so let’s skip the pre-amble this week and get stuck into this week’s 7 things at 7!

🔥 Hot Tech

The top tech and news that we’re talking about. You'll find it in this corner if it matters, and you should know about it! 

1️⃣ Samsung has two new tablets…

Samsung took the stage at its flagship experience store in New York on Thursday to unveil the Galaxy Tab S10 series. Featuring two tablets — and surprisingly, no smaller regular Tab like previous generations — the Galaxy Tab S10 series offers a nearly identical experience to the Galaxy Tab S9 series with the addition of Galaxy AI features.

None of these AI features are particularly new, as we’ve seen them on the Galaxy S24 lineup and the Galaxy Z Fold 6 range. The bigger Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra features the same 14.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED display as the Tab S9 Ultra, while the Tab S10 Plus has the same 12.4-inch display as the S9 Plus.

For more, read my Tab S10 series first impressions at Digital Trends, and stay tuned for a full review that will also be posted there in about a week. I’ll also have a detailed impressions piece on Impact, either standalone or in next week’s newsletter. 

2️⃣ …which are the first MediaTek flagships in the US

There is one particular reason I’m very excited about these tablets… they are the first MediaTek-powered flagship devices in the US. I’ve been waiting for these to launch since MediaTek first teased this in April, as I revealed on Twitter. 

The Galaxy Tab S10 series is powered by the DImensity 9300+ processor, which Samsung says delivers a range of improvements over the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 that powered the Tab S9 series. These include an 18% increase in CPU, a 25% increase in GPU, and a 16% improvement in NPU efficiency. 

If it delivers the battery life and performance we’ve seen from other Dimensity 9300+ devices, the Galaxy Tab S10 series will greatly benefit Samsung’s tablet range. Stay tuned for the full review, but 24 hours in, I’m seeing impressive performance. I’m hopeful we’ll soon see Dimensity-powered flagship smartphones land stateside.

3️⃣ There’s also a new Fan Edition phone

Sadly, the new Galaxy S24 Fan Edition (aka FE) isn’t powered by a MediaTek chipset, with Samsung opting for its Exynos 2400e processor instead. There’s fundamentally no difference between the Exynos 2400 and 2400e other than a maximum frequency 100Hz lower at 3.1GHz. 

According to tests by NotebookCheck, the Exynos 2400e slightly outperforms the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy in certain benchmarks but falls somewhat short in others. Benchmarks don’t reveal the full picture, and there shouldn’t be a huge delta in real-world performance between the Galaxy S24 FE and the vanilla and Plus S24 models powered by the latest Snapdragon processor.

4️⃣ Xiaomi’s new phones are particularly appealing

On the same day as Samsung, Xiaomi took to the stage in Berlin to launch several new phones, release its flip phone globally, and bring its outstanding SUV to more markets. It was Xiaomi’s big fall event, and several new devices are headed to global markets.

First, the new Xiaomi 14T series brings a partnership with Google Gemini for its AI features, MediaTek for the Dimensity chipset, and Leica for the camera. The Dimensity 9300+ powers the Xiaomi 14T Pro, while the 8300 powers the non-Pro 14T. Both phones also have the full range of Google Gemini features announced at I/O earlier this year. 

The 14T is the latest in Xiaomi’s partnership with Leica for the camera. A strong emphasis on photography manifests itself with next-generation Leica optics, including the Leica Summilux optical lens. The Xiaomi 14T comes equipped with the Sony IMX906 sensor, while the Xiaomi 14T Pro uses the Light Fusion 900 and has three separate lenses that offer five focal lengths. 

Beyond the Xiaomi 14T series, this event also saw the launch of the Xiaomi Mix Flip into global markets. This is an interesting flip phone thanks to its unique approach to the front display, which has a vertical array — like a regular phone — plus a few widgets you can cycle through just above the camera. Stay tuned for a full review of this, but check out my quick hands-on below.

5️⃣ Orion is Meta’s big bet on Augmented Reality

If you’ve been waiting for true Augmented Reality, it’s finally here, but there’s one catch: you can’t buy it… yet. Meta has been working on AR and VR products for years, and Orion is the closest we’ve come to true AR glasses. The implementation is neat, but they would cost $10,000 per unit to make, and Meta wouldn’t turn a profit.

Essentially, Orion is a fancy computer you wear on your face. Unlike devices like the Apple Vision Pro, it keeps the weight down by offloading most of the computing tasks to a wireless puck. It also solves the other biggest problems with most face computers, namely low resolution and a small field of view.

Orion has been custom-designed by Meta and features Micro LED projects that beam graphics in front of your eyes via waveguides in the Silicon Carbide lenses. These lenses are more durable and lighter, and the 70-degree field of view is better than plastic or glass lenses. They represent a true future where you can have high-quality AR on your face, and hand tracking works through the neural wristband.

Read more on Orion in The Verge’s hands-on!

6️⃣ And there’s an update for the Ray-Ban Meta as well

Meta Connect wasn’t just about the Orion, although those stole the show. Meta also announced the new Meta Quest 3S — which you can read about at The Shortcut — and updates to the fantastic Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which I absolutely love!

There are new transition lenses that will transition much faster, and I’m a little frustrated, having spent nearly $1,000 on a pair of the older transition lenses earlier this year! The new translucent frame is so nice I may have to buy a new pair!

Alongside all the new hardware, Meta also announced an update for the Ray-Ban Meta. “Reminders” lets the glasses take a photo of what you’re looking at and remind you about it later via a notification on your phone. You will also be able to scan QR codes or call phone numbers that you’re looking at directly from the glasses.

Translations have been a big part of AI features released on all devices this year, and the Ray-Ban Meta is no different. The glasses could already translate languages from still images, and now the company is working on real-time language translation between English, French, Italian, and Spanish. This will make them transformative for travel, allowing you to have real-time conversations with people who speak other languages. I can’t wait to try it out when the feature launches in the coming months!

7️⃣ The end of an era in iPhone coverage

This week marked the end of one of my old favorite iPhone coverage websites: iMore. I wrote a few articles on iMore during my time at Mobile Nations, and some incredible people have graced its masthead, including the phenomenal Rene Ritchie and the outstanding Lory Gil. Read this goodbye article from the iMore Staff and this evoking post from Rene to understand why iMore was so great. 

📆 Upcoming

A lot is happening, at least at Impact. There’s a ton of reviews and coverage coming your way; here’s just a sample of what you can expect in the coming weeks:

• This coming week: Honor Magic V3, iPhone 16 Pro, AirPods 4

• Next week: Apple Watch Series 10, 

• Later: Asus ZenBook S14, Plaud Note AI Pin & more!

There’s still much more to cover, but I’m also working on something special around iPhone accessories. Stay tuned for a detailed look at the best iPhone 16 cases and covers in video form next week and a roundup on Forbes in the coming days!

👀 Two carve-outs this week!

What about beyond tech? Here are a few bonus things that may interest you!

• I stopped by the Mobile Tech Podcast on Thursday to discuss all the topics in this week’s newsletter! You can listen to the episode on your favorite podcast player or via this link!

• Check out this awesome new series rounding up the top tech stories in 60 seconds from NBTJacklyn. She was one of the inaugural winners of the HoT 24 this year, and she’s gone from strength to strength this year! Hit subscribe if you haven’t already!

That’s all for this week. See you next week, and stay tuned for lots of content this coming week as well!

Apple launched the iPhone 16 series last week, which means this week was the official launch day. Apple sold out of the Pro Max model within hours — which happens every year — but the real story is the non-Pro phones. These are the ones to watch out for this year.

Early reports suggested that iPhone 16 pre-orders were below last year's, but T-Mobile’s CEO refuted this, saying that demand had exceeded expectations. Apple doesn’t break out sales numbers by device, but I would love to see which of the four models is the most popular.

Beyond the world of Apple, there was big news in the semiconductor industry, with reports suggesting that Qualcomm was exploring an acquisition of Intel. We’re hard at work on reviews of all the iPhone 16 series, so this week’s 7 Things at 7 is a little shorter than normal! Let’s get stuck in!

🔥 Hot Tech

The top tech that we’re talking about. You'll find it in this corner if it matters, and you should know about it! 

1️⃣ Apple reviews are underway: first impressions of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16

I’ve got the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, and iPhone 16 Pro here, and reviews of all three devices are underway! You can expect the full review of the iPhone 16 Pro here on Impact, while I’ll publish the iPhone 16 review on Android Police. 

This year, I returned to the regular iPhone 16 Pro instead of the Pro Max I had used last year. Why? The camera finally gains the 5x telephoto zoom that was exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and so far, I am enjoying the smaller size. It’s the perfect size, but the biggest problem is likely the battery life. The jury is still out, but I’m not impressed by the battery.

I’ve unboxed all three phones, and the Ultramarine iPhone 16 once again reaffirms that I wish Apple would make more colorful Pro phones. Ultramarine is a beautiful color, as is the Teal iPhone 16 Plus, and the Titanium Pros feel boring. 

Stay tuned for much more, but here’s a quick hands-on:

2️⃣ The Apple Watch Series 10 is gorgeous…

I love the Jet Black Apple Watch Series 10 that Apple announced last week. It’s thin, light, and sleek. It’s a great device for the tenth anniversary of Apple’s most impactful product, but it also raises the question of where Apple goes next.

I suspect the focus will be less on hardware and more on additional health features like non-invasive blood sugar monitoring. That feature is still years away, but it’s the one that I’m most excited about.

Watch OS 11 isn’t a huge step forward for the Apple Watch, and there are few AI features on display, so the focus this year is on the hardware. The new Series 10 is lovely, but the battery life is the key problem. I’m still testing it, but it’s about 36 hours on a full charge. Coming from the Apple Watch Ultra 2, it’s a noticeable downgrade, and sadly, this won’t last two full days. 

I’m testing it alongside the Pixel Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch 7, which brings me to my next point.

3️⃣ … but the Pixel Watch 3 might be my favorite wearable

I haven’t finished my review of the Pixel Watch 3 yet, but I am enjoying it a lot. It’s a fantastic device, and the battery life is exceptional. 34 hours into this test, the Apple Watch Series 10 has 10% battery remaining, the Galaxy Watch 7 has 20%, and the Pixel Watch 3 has 35%. It’s shaping up to be the best of these three!

I also like the Pixel Watch 3's Cardio Load and Target Load features. They help guide my daily activity levels and ensure my heart remains healthy. We’ll see how long-term use improves my health, but a few weeks in, the Pixel Watch 3 has earned a spot on my wrist. 

It will likely be used alongside the Apple Watch Series 10; if I can have two phones, surely two watches is also acceptable?

4️⃣ The AirPods 4 have also arrived

I love September and the new tech season, but this is proving insanely hectic. It shows no signs of abating, and there is still much tech to cover, not least the new AirPods 4.

I’ve got the version with ANC, designed to offer most of the AirPods Pro experience at a lower price. So far, the ANC seems to deliver a solid experience, which is a surprise given the lack of silicon ear tips.

It’ll be interesting to see whether I return to the AirPods Pro 2 or keep these, especially as the former will offer hearing tests later this year. This seems to be a great fourth generation of Apple’s wireless buds. However, I’m only a few days into the review, so I will reserve my final judgment.

5️⃣ I have a LOT of iPhone cases here and coming soon

This whole section could be called iPhone Corner, but this week's last installment of Apple involves cases. The iPhone cases and accessories industry is a highly lucrative business, but it is also fiercely competitive.

I’ve worked with many case companies over the years, and at IFA, I saw many iPhone 16 series cases before the phone was even announced. I’ve now received some of these and have a lot more coming, so stay tuned for a lot of coverage.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel for a full video on the best iPhone 16 cases in the coming weeks; over 50 cases are winging their way to me, so it promises to be a detailed comparison and the only one you’ll need to watch to find the best case!

6️⃣ Qualcomm buying Intel? Surely not!

This week, one of the most surprising — and equally least surprising — news pieces was a report that Qualcomm has been looking at acquiring Intel. On the one hand, it makes sense: Intel has struggled in recent years but still owns a valuable IP portfolio, and Qualcomm loves making acquisitions. 

On the other hand, it doesn’t: Intel’s market cap is half that of Qualcomm’s, making any acquisition's financial terms incredibly challenging. Coupled with inevitable regulatory concerns, there’s a strong chance that any acquisition wouldn’t be approved, but would it even make sense for either company? There are a lot of questions, but there are ways that it could make sense, especially for Qualcomm, given its recent resurgence in the PC market. 

You can read more about Qualcomm’s purported interest in Intel at The Verge. You can also read the original story at the WSJ and the further corroboration by the New York Times. It also turns out that Qualcomm isn’t the only company interested in acquiring Intel.

7️⃣ Snapchat has new spectacles… that require a subscription

If the world of subscriptions wasn’t ridiculous enough, Snapchat took it a step further with its new Spectacles ‘24. The new device has notable improvements in field-of-view, resolution, and hand-tracking. It is designed to offer the best hardware for developers to build the next generation of AR experiences.

Being targeted at developers means that Snapchat can charge ridiculous amounts of money for the Spectacles ‘24. How much, I hear you ask? $99 per month + tax, with a minimum 12-month commitment. That’s a monthly subscription for a pair of AR glasses. It’s a minimum cost of $1,200, which is, quite frankly, absolutely ridiculous. Oh well, at least there’s a new, simpler Snapchat, for what that’s worth.

📆 Upcoming Calendar

What’s upcoming in the tech world that you need to know about? We know this year will be different regarding tech launches, but things are always happening, so here’s what to watch out for!

• September 26: The Xiaomi 14T series will be launched in Berlin, and they should be fantastic, affordable devices.

• September 26: A new Samsung device will probably be launched on Thursday! Samsung has launched pre-reservations for the Galaxy S24 FE, which end on Wednesday, suggesting a launch on Thursday!

👀 Two carve-outs this week!

What about beyond tech? Here are a few bonus things that may interest you!

• As mentioned last week, we’re moving away from Substack. This is expected to happen in the next few weeks, and you may likely get registration emails from our new CMS (powered by Ghost) before it happens! 

  • I have more to say on this, but I’m very happy with the new site and newsletter design and options so far!

• Thanks to IFA, I missed something I was looking forward to: an in-person Acquired FM show at the Chase Center in San Francisco. The recording is now up, featuring a live interview with Mark Zuckerberg. 

  • This is my favorite podcast, and I highly recommend listening to this episode!

  • Once you’ve done that, check out the LVMH, Hermes, and Nintendo episodes!

That’s all for this week. See you next week, and stay tuned for lots of content this coming week as well!

Welcome to Sunday 7, a weekly newsletter with seven hot stories about technology. Be the techie in your group without needing to follow the industry closely. This week is all about Google, AI, Apple and more.

Techtober has become TechTember, and this year, there is a constant deluge of new devices. We're in a cycle of intense competition in all mobile devices, and for those who live for new gadgets, there's always something to talk about. With that in mind, let’s kick off the first edition of this newsletter!

🔥 Hot Corner

The top tech that we’re talking about. If it matters to us and you should know about it, you’ll find it here!

1️⃣ Let's talk about the Google Pixel 9

For years, I've hated the Google Pixel series. Then Google made the Pixel 9. There's no understating how good this phone is. My full review is due soon, but I need to test the camera again after a major camera update landed just before the embargo.

Frankly, the delay is also because I don't want to switch to something else, at least not until my Pixel 9 Pro arrives. The Pixel 9 is a phenomenal phone, and I don't miss the telephoto lens too much, except for the higher zoom lengths. It's limited to 8x, and the Pixel 9 Pro isn't as limited. 

That's not to diminish what Google can do with somewhat more limited hardware. Google has followed the Gunpei Yukoi philosophy that made Nintendo a force in video games: lateral thinking with withered technology. Google proves time and time again that the hardware doesn't matter as much as the algorithms and software, and the Pixel 9 is no different. 

Many people find the Tensor G4 a weakness, but there's been nothing to complain about. The new vapor chamber ensures everything runs smoothly, and the increase to 12GB in the regular 9 (vs. 16GB in the others) ensures no performance qualms. 

Battery life is also phenomenal, and I charge the Pixel 9 every day and a half. That's with fairly heavy usage, and a full charge takes about 85 minutes. It's not the fastest – especially as it's limited to 27W even when using Google's 45W charger – but it's perfectly good enough. This is a classic example of a product being more than the sum of its parts, and the Pixel 9 does this in buckets. 

There's a reason I'm incredibly excited about the Pixel 9 Pro: it offers the best of the big screen Pixel 9 Pro XL with the size and form factor of the smaller Pixel 9. It is the best of both worlds, with little to no trade-offs. The compact 6.3-inch Super Actua display (albeit with a slightly higher resolution) and 4,700mAh battery of the Pixel 9, combined with the larger RAM, better selfie camera, faster charging, and the 9 Pro XL telephoto lens. I can't think of any other regular-sized phone with the same level of balance.

If you want a new phone, the Pixel 9 series has to be on your list. One company rarely receives near-universal praise, and even the critics resort to clickbait in search of balanced coverage. I won't link to the egregious example, but sometimes, you must accept that a great phone is great. 

That wasn't all that Google announced last week, though. 

2️⃣ I'm excited for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Watch 3

It's been a week since I saw the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and I can't wait for mine to arrive. The official release is September 4th, but I won't get it in my hands until a few days later, thanks to IFA 2024 (more on that later). 

The Pixel 9 has been such a pleasure to use that I think Google's second-generation foldable could replace the Galaxy Z Fold 6 as my go-to foldable. It's smooth, useful, and a pleasure to use, and that's exactly what it needs. I'd miss the S-Pen, so the Z Fold 6 won't be completely relegated to a drawer, but the Pixel 9 Pro Fold camera is better, and it's a smoother overall experience.

Check out MrMobile’s amazing Pixel 9 Pro Fold / Watch 3 preview above, which includes interviews with the people who made it.

Google has finally nailed the Pixel experience. I love products made for usability, which was the theme of all of Google's announcements.

Features like Cardio Load, Target Load, and Loss of Pulse Detection are the most usable features Google has ever released. Once the embargo lifts in a couple of weeks, I will have much testing and thoughts to come, but these features are designed to improve lives in unique ways. They could be Google's most impactful health features yet.

🗞️ News Corner

The top stories from the news that will make you the smartest person at the water cooler.

3️⃣ The iPhone in Europe is so much more fun

I remember when the original iPhone launched. Apple’s vision for the iPhone fundamentally differed from everything else on the market, and the resulting wave of change revolutionized smartphones as we know them. If the EU gets its way, the iPhone in Europe could fundamentally change how we perceive the iPhone experience.

If you’re an iPhone user in the EU, there are many things you can do that fellow iPhone owners worldwide can’t. This includes installing a third-party app store, browsers running their own rendering engines, and the ability to replace third-party apps. The first third-party app store by Epic Games bought Fortnite back to the iPhone, but only in Europe (and globally on Android). 

The EU’s mission is to break down the barriers to the iPhone and make it an Apple phone with the flexibility of Android. It’ll be interesting to see if there’s an endpoint and, crucially, whether Apple will remove the arbitrary software barriers preventing iPhone users in the US from accessing the same level of flexibility. 

Continue reading at the CNET.

4️⃣ Is the Telegram bubble about to burst?

I'm a huge Telegram user, and over the past two years, I've noticed that it's become far more popular with regular people — not people in the tech space, but people outside; exactly the type of person who uses WhatsApp outside the US. Anecdotally, many of them stop using it fairly quickly, even though Telegram does a great job of telling you when your contacts join. 

Telegram is by far the best overall messaging app. But it's yet to prove it can withstand the intense scrutiny that comes from being dominant like WhatsApp. The founder was just arrested in France on various charges, and Telegram will now undergo immense interest and scrutiny. With over half a billion users, it's unsurprising this hasn't happened sooner. 

Telegram has come closer than anyone before to providing a credible threat to WhatsApp. The only concern some of my non-techie friends have is privacy, and the app’s viability depends on how Telegram appears in both the court of law and the court of public opinion. 

Continue reading at the NPR.

5️⃣ Curiosity around the death of both HP Autonomy founders 

You may not know the name Mike Lynch, but you may have heard it this past week. The death of one of the co-founders of Autonomy in suspicious circumstances on a luxury yacht in Italy has raised some questions. These are further complicated by the death of the other cofounder in a car accident just five days earlier. 

These deaths come just as they were both acquitted after a 13-year legal battle. Autonomy was the first British software unicorn when it was acquired by HP for $11 billion in 2003, but it immediately fell into trouble. HP reported an $8.8 billion write-down, claiming fraud and the two co-founders countersued, claiming complete negligence on the part of HP in running the business. Expect more to come on this in the coming weeks and months. 

Continue reading at The Washington Post.

📆 Upcoming Calendar

What’s upcoming in the tech world that you need to know about? We’re in many launches, including the Google Pixel 9, which just launched, and new rival foldables — at least for Europe — that are expected for IFA. The iPhone is just weeks away, and we’re about to enter an AI race like no other.

6️⃣ Coming up: The 100th IFA is a week away

There are three major consumer tech trade shows each year that appeal to most generalist tech publications: CES, MWC, and IFA. A Berlin staple, this year's IFA is a week away, and it will be a big one — or at least, the organizers hope it will be in honor of its 100th anniversary.

IFA is unique as it's the only big show that admits the general public. The media days are actual media preview days, and the place resembles a building site, but that's because it's geared toward selling to customers. 

This year's show is particularly interesting. In recent years, IFA has become a place for launching new foldable phones. Companies like Tecno and Honor are expected to launch new ones this year, and I can't wait to see what's announced. Expect lots from Berlin in just a week!

7️⃣ Looking ahead: Apple iPhone launch expected September 10, Apple Watch turns 10

The Apple Watch turns ten on September 10 — at least, that’s the expectation. The latest reports suggest that Apple will unveil four new iPhones alongside the tenth-generation Apple Watch on September 10. 

This promises to be a big launch for Apple and the industry, especially as the iPhone 16 series will be the first Apple hardware designed for Apple Intelligence. Expect AI and the new Siri to be a big theme for this launch and for other companies to respond with AI messaging.

👀 Carve-outs and other things

Just one carve-out this week with a distinctly non-techie feel!

I just learned about the Netflix documentary Dirty Pop. If you want to know about the drama, intrigue, and giant Ponzi scheme that led to the founding of iconic boybands such as Backstreet Boys and N-Sync, check it out on Netflix.

That’s all for this week, see you next week!