It's already smartphone season. Samsung's annual deluge encompasses three new phones for 2026: the frontier-pushing S26 Ultra ($1,300) with its innovative Privacy Screen, the S26 ($899) and the S26+ ($999). The smaller flagships, yet again, are iterative versions of what came before, with the major differences centering on bigger batteries and brighter screens.
I'm getting waves of deja vu as I review the Galaxy S26, because at times I was writing exactly what I wrote last year including the part about it being a little too similar to what came before.
Hardware
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget
Let's focus on the changes. The Galaxy S26's screen size is a little bigger than its predecessor's; 6.3 inches, up from 6.2 inches on the S25. However, it still has the same FHD+ (2,340 x 1,080) resolution. Given the slight size difference, there's no particular drop in sharpness. The screen can also go slightly brighter, topping out at 3,000 nits, which is always welcome especially when Samsung has increased the battery to 4,300mAh from the S25's 4,000mAh. (The S25 already impressed us with its battery longevity.)
The design, however, is largely unchanged. The camera trio now sits on a unified circular island and, well, that's all I really have to say. Once again, it's premium Samsung hardware, but otherwise I'd just be reiterating what I said last year and our review from the year before that.
Inside, Samsung increased the base RAM to 12GB and the storage to 256GB on the S26, doubling the space found on the S25. With the S26's processor, Samsung split the device into two different builds depending on region. In the US, you'll get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, like the S26 Ultra. Elsewhere, including my review device in the UK, the S26 and (S26+) have the in-house Exynos 2600.
Samsung's Exynos 2600 SoC is its first 2nm chip and should offer power-efficiency improvements over larger alternatives. This year's S26 didn't struggle with any of the games I played or video-editing tasks. Samsung says its new chip delivers around 50 percent better performance across single- and multicore tasks. The Exynos 2600 includes a new Xclipse 960 GPU, which casubtlenuan deliver double the graphical performance of the Exynos 2500.
On Geekbench 6, the Exynos S26 scored 3151 on single-core tests and 10,664 on multicore tests (not far behind the Snapdragon-powered S26 Ultra). Similarly, the GPU score (24425) didn't lag far behind all pleasant surprises. There is a but coming.
Comparing battery rundown tests between a Snapdragon S26 and my Exynos version revealed a gap. Watching a looped video at 50 percent brightness, the Exynos iteration lasted almost 28 hours, while the Snapdragon 8 Elite S26 lasted nearly 30 hours. Sure, that's great longevity regardless of which S26 model you get. But this year's flagship does have a bigger battery, so why is the Exynos-powered version only matching last year's phone?
Cameras
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget
Not much has changed in the composition (or resolution) of the camera trio: there's a 50-megapixel main, a 12MP ultrawide and a 10MP telephoto. That means that any improvements in photos and video are subtle, to put it kindly.
It's hard to discern the improvements this year without really scrutinizing dark shots and zooming right in. The S26 does seem a little faster at capturing bursts and high-res video. And while I prefer the no-nonsense shooting of the Pixel 10a, the S26 offers a little more versatility with its zoom and ultrawide cameras. Cropped zoom, for example, lets you get closer to subjects beyond the 3X optical zoom, though more detail is lost than with the S26 Ultra and its larger resolution sensors.
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget
Once you've taken the shot, Samsung's bundle of AI tools can take over. Photo Assist attempts to corral all of these editing features into one place, offering quick ways to reduce reflections or edit out photobombers. You can now use natural language text prompts to guide your photo editing.
For example, I attempted to adjust the lighting more evenly on a photo of me taken outdoors with a flash. I could do it with my rudimentary photo-editing skills, but Samsung's tools are fast and, crucially, very easy to use. It's a feature where natural language interfaces really make sense.
With the front-facing camera, Samsung has added its Object Aware Engine, promising better, more accurate rendering of skin tones and hair, as well as an improved portrait mode. But again, I noticed marginal differences. The S26 seemed to have better color accuracy than its predecessor, resulting in slightly warmer selfies.
For videos, Samsung Super Steady mode is now more versatile, maintaining a consistent horizontal lock no matter how much you move around. As I mentioned during my hands-on, it's an interesting addition, the kind of feature you typically see on action cams and gimbals. It works well, too, although the footage does pick up a bit of focus-pumping as it fights to stabilize everything.
Rounding out the new additions is an Autoframing mode that crops in on your tracked subject as they move around. There's a degree of auto-detection for faces and pets, but you can tap to apply tracking to anything, to which it locks on well. It works particularly well with tripods, but there is a slight floating effect as the S26 tries to keep up with the phone's movement. I also noticed warping at the edge of the lens when the camera app kept my subject centered in the frame.
Software
Image by Mat Smith for Engaget
Samsung's S26 launch event suggested this was the era of agentic AI, with assistants now positioned to connect the dots between tasks themselves. We're not quite there, though.
The company has slightly expanded many of the features introduced last year. Now Brief is capable of pulling data from more apps to generate more comprehensive daily summaries, but I mostly saw the usual suspects: weather, calendar reminders and not much else.
Across the S26, a new Now Nudge feature will suggest actions with an unobtrusive icon, based on what's happening on screen, such as sharing contact numbers with someone or suggesting calendar times while dealing with work emails.
Perplexity is an interesting addition. The S26 series is in a curious spot where it has hooks into no fewer than three AI assistants: Gemini, Bixby (bless its heart) and now Perplexity.
You do have to install the Perplexity app (and log in to use it), but you can then choose to make it your primary AI assistant. Odd things are missing: Samsung said Perplexity integration would work across the phone, including its own Browser app something I was excited to test. Perplexity's own browser, Comet, has a slick feature that lets it browse and summarize multiple tabs. I was in the middle of deciding where to eat during my recent trip to Barcelona, so I thought this was a great use case. However, that feature isn't available in Samsung's browser for now. According to Perplexity, Samsung will "integrate Perplexity's APIs into the Samsung Browser, with agentic browser capabilities."
Voice commands of "Hey Plex" also went unanswered. I found I had to manually grant permissions to the Perplexity app for it to work like Google's Gemini. This could just be teething issues with a pre-release device and software, but Perplexity, for now, doesn't offer enough utility beyond what I was already used to with Gemini.
Wrap-up
Image by Mat Smith for Engadget
The Galaxy S26 is a solid phone, with upgraded battery capacity and more base storage. Whether you get the Exynos or the Snapdragon S26, there's fortunately no performance gulf as has happened in the past. However, the shorter battery life is a disappointing discovery from Samsung's first 2nm chip.
For Samsung's smallest flagships over the last three years, it's all been very samey. Is the company now focused on its true flagship Ultra phone and foldables to generate buzz and make things exciting? That's what it feels like. There's nothing wrong with this safe, solid Android phone, but you could pick up last year's S25 and get an experience that's 99 percent the same for $99 less.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-s26-review-the-smartphone-status-quo-143033391.html?src=rss
Somehow, Apple made a $599 laptop that's actually a joy to use. In this episode, Devindra and Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham chat about what makes the MacBook Neo so great. And they also dive into the new M4 iPad Air, M5 MacBook Air and M5 Pro/Max MacBook Pros. Also, Roberto Baldwin, SAE International's Sustainability Editor, joins us to chat about the state of EVs today as gas prices explode.Subscribe!iTunesSpotifyPocket CastsStitcherGoogle PodcastsTopicMacBook Neo review: Apple puts $600 Windows PCs to shame 1:47iPad Air M4 remains Apples best overall tablet 18:05Whistleblower claims ex-DOGE employee illegally took social security info on 500 million Americans to their new job 33:37Valve clarifies their outlook on the Steam Machine, itll launch in 2026, still no word on price 36:08Grammerly hit with a class action lawsuit for using reporters names in an editing expert tool 40:29A new study claims every major AI chatbot will help users plan a hate attack or political assassination 44:03What to look for in a used EV with SAE International sustainability editor Roberto Baldwin 48:31Around Engadget 1:21:04CreditsHosts: Devindra Hardawar and Nathan IngrahamGuest: Roberto BaldwinProducer: Ben EllmanMusic: Dale North and Terrence OBrienThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/engadget-podcast-apples-599-macbook-neo-is-astounding-140402521.html?src=rss
Apple is lowering its developer fees in China following discussions with the Chinese regulator. From March 15, the commission rate for standard in-app purchases (IAPs) will be reduced from 30 percent to 25 percent on its mainland China App Store storefront for both iOS and iPadOS.
In a Developer blog, Apple also said that developers belonging to its App Store Small Business or Mini Apps programmes will also have their fees reduced by 3 percent, from 15 to 12 percent. This applies to the commission rate for IAPs and in-app subscription renewals after the first year.
"We strive for iOS and iPadOS to be the best app ecosystem and a great business opportunity for developers in China," Apple said in the post. "We are committed to terms that remain fair and transparent to all developers, and to always offering competitive App Store rates to developers distributing apps in China that are no higher than overall rates in other markets."
Apple says developers are not required to agree to the terms by March 15 to start receiving their benefits, seemingly making the transition as smooth as possible to avoid further regulatory intervention. It will no doubt be taken as a significant win for Chinese businesses, and comes a year after reports that a state watchdog was investigating the fees Apple enforces on developers it hosts on the App Store.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-is-reducing-its-app-store-commission-fees-in-china-131221192.html?src=rss
Apple's new family of laptops might have a cringeworthy name, but don't let it fool you. Despite the MacBook Neo running on a built-for-iPhone A-series processor and being limited to 8GB of RAM, it delivers on what Macs do best. It has a capable screen, keyboardand trackpadand its overall build quality should embarrass other laptop-making rivals that have compromised on those areas with their $600 laptops.
Engadget
Don't expect a gaming rig it struggled predictably to run Lies of P, but for most of the things you need a laptop for especially for students and desk workers it handles them with aplomb. Yeah, I said aplomb.
Check out our full Neo review by Devindra Hardawar surely you're intrigued by the idea of a $600 MacBook?
Mat Smith
The other big stories (and deals) this morning
Bumble is the latest dating app to add an AI assistant
Alexa+ can now swear
I guess this wasn't an Xbox after all
RAMaggedon is not expected to ease this year as IDC cuts 2026 PC market forecast again.
Rabbit teases its modern take on the netbook, built for vibe coders
I don't have to like the Cyberdeck name.
Rabbit
Project Cyberdeck is Rabbit's attempt to make a PC tailored for vibe coding. The company began working on Project Cyberdeck after its CEO, Jesse Lyu, saw how extensively his software engineers were using Claude Code. Unfortunately, existing cheap, lightweight machines had bad keyboards and other limitations. So Rabbit is making its ownand it's taking a big serving of inspiration from the tiny, almost pocket-sized laptops that VAIO made back in the late '00s and early 2010s.
Continue reading.
Microsoft's Project Helix consoles will head to game studios in 2027
Xbox wants a do-over.
In a bid to distract from corporate reshuffles, fears of generative AI game slop and a pretty poor showing against the PS5, Microsoft is getting ahead of its rival. At GDC 2026, the company said that it planned to get Project Helix dev consoles in the hands of game devs as soon as 2027.
Jason Ronald, vice-president of next generation for Xbox, reiterated that the new system would be capable of playing both Xbox console games and PC games. (Sony's decision to halt porting its games across to PC makes more sense. ) Ronald said it would incorporate a custom AMD-made system-on-a-chip, offering "a magnitude leap in ray tracing performance and capability".
Continue reading.
Meta bought another social network
Filled with bots, but on purpose.
The owners of Facebook are buying Moltbook, the hyped Reddit-like social network for AI agents that has only been around since January. The company hasn't disclosed the terms of the deal, but Moltbook and its creators will be joining Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL) when the deal closes.
And that definitely doesn't sound like a cabal of comic book villains that fights the Justice League.
Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-120553713.html?src=rss
Ubers and Motional's Hyundai Ioniq 5 autonomous EVs will start appearing as an option for riders in Las Vegas. Passengers requesting for an UberX, Uber Electric, Uber Comfort or Uber Comfort Electric ride may be matched with a Motional robotaxi. They will not be forced to take it, though, and will be notified and given the option to decline and choose a regular ride instead. But if they want to try it, they can boost their chances of getting matched with a robotaxi ride by opting in via the Ride Preferences section under Settings.
Riders who get on autonomous rides will be able to unlock the vehicle through the Uber app. Inside, theyll hear audio cues reminding them to close the door and fasten their seatbelt. Theyll also be able to access human support through the Uber app in case they need help. The companies started piloting the robotaxi service in Las Vegas in 2022 after establishing a 10-year partnership. Motionals Hyundai AVs were also tested by Uber Eats for autonomous deliveries in the same year.
The first autonomous rides under the partnership will still have safety drivers behind the wheel to monitor the roads. They will also be only available, for now, at designated locations along Las Vegas Boulevard, including rideshare zones at the Resorts World Las Vegas and Encore at the Wynn Las Vegas plus Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino and curbside in Downtown Las Vegas and throughout the Town Square shopping district near the airport. By the end of the year, the companies expect to start offering fully autonomous rides with no human operators. They have plans to expand the rides availability throughout the city, as well.
Uber has also just announced that its piloting a robotaxi service in Tokyo in late 2026 in partnership with UK self-driving car startup Wayve and Nissan. In addition, the Uber-backed Nuro will test its own autonomous vehicles in the Japanese metropolis soon.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/uber-robotaxi-rides-are-now-available-for-passengers-in-las-vegas-120030395.html?src=rss
Its hard to believe that its been almost four years since Apple gave the MacBook Air a serious glow-up. The 2022 model was a total redesign that bumped its performance with the M2 chip and also improved a number of key components. It was also the first MacBook Air to drop the signature tapered design, and Apple added a 15-inch model one year later to boot. Since then, Apples primarily focused on making sure it has a new chip every year were already up to the M5, if you can believe it.
As such, the latest MacBook Air is an expected update that doesnt change the game. Not that it needed changing: its been our favorite ultraportable laptop for years now. But the Airs place in Apples lineup has changed with the simultaneous introduction of the $599 MacBook Neo. And unfortunately, Apple didnt keep the $999 price that last years M4 MacBook Air hit; its back up to $1,099, the same price as the M2 and M3 models. Now that theres the new, inexpensive MacBook Neo out there, who is the MacBook Air for? While I havent used the Neo yet, Im pretty comfortable answering that question: its still for almost anyone.
The essentials havent changed
While the latest MacBook Air is physically unchanged from its 2022 revision, I dont have a problem with that. I find the Air to be the Platonic ideal of a laptop that most people will be hard-pressed to find issues with. The 13.6-inch (or 15.3-inch, if you opt for the bigger size) display isnt the most cutting edge screen out there, but its still sharp, bright and colorful. Its stuck at a 60Hz refresh rate at a time when many PC manufacturers are using faster screens, but for the Airs audience I dont think thats a problem. I may be miffed that the iPad Air similarly only has a pedestrian 60Hz refresh rate but I think its less crucial on a Mac, where youre not literally touching the screen (at least for now).
Other minor quibbles include the fact that Apple still hasnt put a USB-C port on the right side of the computer in addition to those on the left, and the screen notch is still weird if you focus on it too much. But other than that, I cant really come up with any issues here. At 2.7 pounds, the Air isnt the lightest laptop out there, but Ill take the extremely solid feel of the unibody aluminum case over a lighter and possibly flimsier plastic.
MacBook Air M5
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
The keyboard and trackpad remain delightful, as well. My main laptop is a 14-inch MacBook Pro, and I can perceive the Airs comparatively thinner case when typing on it. Its not bad at all, it just feels slightly different. But after a short adjustment period, I really didnt think about it and typed away without a care in the world. Its baffling to me that a company that made a keyboard this good also made the horrific butterfly keyboards of yore, but fortunately that era is far in the past. The haptic-powered trackpad is huge, smooth and responsive, just like the ones on all other recent Mac laptops. Altogether, the input experience is great, and I rarely find myself really feeling like I need an external keyboard or mouse. I know people have strong feelings about that, so do as you wish, but its not really something I think about anymore.
The MacBook Airs speakers and webcam are also still excellent. Last year, Apple upgraded the 1080p webcam in the Air to a 12-megapixel Center Stage model that can follow your movements to keep you in frame or switch to a desk view that shows a top-down viewpoint of the area in front of the laptop. The old 1080p webcam was already pretty solid, and while this one doesnt magically repair your wrinkles, its definitely more versatile and detailed. The speakers, meanwhile, remain one of those things that Apple has absolutely nailed with this generation of its laptops. Theyre relatively loud and well-balanced, providing far better sound than Id expect from such a thin enclosure.
MacBook Air M5
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
Enough power to last for years
All of this is well-known, though. The big change this year is the M5 chip, which has been available for a while already in the MacBook Pro and iPad Pro. So, we have a good idea of what to expect here as well. Im testing the 13-inch model with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage that costs $1,299. Its hard to perceive a difference between the M5 and last years M4 in my normal routine (dozens of tabs, Slack, Lightroom, Apple Music streaming and a bunch of lightweight apps like Bear notes, Todoist and so on). And based on my history with Apples M-series chips, the M5 will be a great performer for years to come. My work-issued MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro chip still runs like a champ almost five years after it was released, for example.
That said, users who do more than the basics with their laptop and have one with a chip older than 2022s M2 will likely find the M5 Air to be a nice upgrade. Geekbench 6 benchmarks show the M5 is 11 percent and 17 percent faster than the M4 Air in single-core and multi-core tests (both with 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSDs). There were bigger GPU gains this year, with the M5 scoring 31 percent higher than the M4.
Few people out there are likely looking to upgrade from an M4 Air. But the M5 could be a noteworthy upgrade from the M3, depending of course on your workload. The M5 is 31 percent and 43 percent faster than the M3 in single- and multi-core testing. And the GPU is a whopping 56 percent faster as well. If youre interested in doing things like video editing, music creation, gaming or AI tasks, youll definitely appreciate these performance gains.
MacBook Air M5
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
Finally, these benchmark illustrate the gap between the MacBook Neo and the Air. The M5 is about 24 percent faster than the A18 Pro in the single-core test, but it demolishes the Neos chip in multi-core (105 percent) and GPU (144 percent) performance. This just reiterates what we already know the Neo is best-suited for basic tasks, while the Air should have more than enough power until you get into more specialized use cases.
And while no one will mistake the MacBook Air for a gaming laptop, Apple has had increasing success at getting developers to bring big titles to the Mac. Games like Assassins Creed Shadows, Cyberpunk 2077, Lies of P, Control and Resident Evil Village, along with indies like Neva, Stray and Balatro, are available here. Thats not to mention the many quality games worth checking out on Apple Arcade. All this is to say that Macs may still not be the premiere gaming platform, but people who dont have access to a PlayStation, Xbox or more powerful gaming PC can still try a lot of great games on the platform.
Thanks to the M5, these games play pretty well to boot. I tried Cyberpunk 2077, one of the more notoriously demanding games out there, and had a stutter-free experience. Most graphically intense Mac games default to a for this Mac setting so you dont really need to worry about optimizing settings. Cyberpunk 2077 stayed pretty well locked at 30 fps in my experience obviously not as good as what youll get on a high-end PC or PlayStation 5, but I never felt like I was having a degraded experience. It was smooth, responsive and looked gorgeous. Getting that kind of performance from an ultraportable like the MacBook Air is hard to complain about.
Finally, battery life was close to Apples expectations. The company promises 18 hours of streaming video playback or 15 hours of web browsing. In my test, I looped a locally-stored 4K video file with my screen at half brightness and got exactly 18 hours of playback before the laptop died. Im sure it would have been less if I was streaming the video, but still. Under my usual working conditions running a variety of apps, I got more in the 10-hour range, which is more than good enough for me.
MacBook Air M5
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
Wrap-up
Even with the MacBook Neo showing its chops despite its relatively humble hardware, I think the MacBook Air is by far the best Apple laptop for most people. Sure, Apples continued insistence on limiting screens with higher refresh rates to its most expensive hardware is increasingly frustrating. But other than that, the MacBook Air punches above its weight in just about every aspect particularly when it comes to performance. The M5 is extremely powerful now and should make this years Air a useful computer for five years or even longer, depending on what you do with it. The MacBook Air is so mature and well-engineered at this point that its not the most exciting thing to review. But if you use one for a bit, its easy to appreciate just how good of a laptop it is.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/macbook-air-m5-review-same-but-faster-120000685.html?src=rss
Apple's exclusive deal for US broadcast rights of Formula 1 was a big shift to streaming from ESPN's cable coverage of the past, but after the first race (the Australian Grand Prix), it seems to be going well. "The 2026 Formula 1 season on Apple TV is off to a strong start, with fans responding positively and viewership up year over year for the first weekend, exceeding both F1 and Apple expectations," Apple VP Eddy Cue told The Hollywood Reporter.
Apple didn't give any ratings or other details, but we can glean some clues from previous data. Last year, ESPN said the Australian GP averaged 1.1 million viewers, way up from the previous record of 659,000 in 2019. If Cue's comments were accurate, that means Apple TV's audience was above that, which would be impressive considering that it's a streaming-only service.
When Apple's Formula streaming deal was first announced, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali was bullish on the deal. "It will allow us to enter in the houses of other people in a different way, in great quality that is very important for us," he told Racer. Indeed, Apple is pouring resources into it in a way that ESPN never did. That includes advanced tech that offers multiple ways for fans to watch, including Multiview, Podium Viewer, driver cams and 4K Dolby Vision coverage, Cue noted.
Apple has jumped into Formula 1 racing in other other ways as well, taking advantage of a surge in the sport's popularity aided by Netflix's series Formula 1: Drive to Survive. The streaming service's F1 movie starring Brad Pitt did huge box office numbers and is likely to see a sequel. Apple also struck a deal with Netflix on the aforementioned Drive to Survive series to share streaming of the current season eight (which details the F1 2025 championship). That agreement will also allow Netflix to stream the F1 Canadian Grand Prix live, along with Apple TV.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apple-says-f1-streaming-already-exceeds-everyones-expectations-111028328.html?src=rss
Bandai Namco has announced a new Little Nightmares game, this time for virtual reality. Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes is developed by Iconik and not by Tarsier Studios, but its still connected to the beloved titles Little Nightmares I and II. Remember Dark Six, the protagonist Sixs dark doppelganger from the previous games? Well, in this installment, you will control her as she goes on a journey to reunite with the actual Six in order to reunited with her and become whole. The adventure horror puzzle game promises an eerie, atmospheric universe with an immersive first-person perspective. It features new locations within Nowhere, a nightmarish world only accessible through dreams filled with dangerous creatures, such as the human-like Residents. The Thin Man, the antagonist of the franchises second installment, is also back. Little Nightmares VR: Altered Echoes is optimized for the PSVR2, the Meta Quest 2, 3 and 3s, the Oculus Rift and Rift S, the Pico 4, the Valve Index and the HTC Vive. However, it also works with other PC VR headsets. It will be available on April 24, 2026, and you can add it to your Wishlist right now on the PlayStation, Steam and Meta stores. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/little-nightmares-vr-altered-echoes-arrives-in-april-101626370.html?src=rss
