Sonos has just announced its first new products since 2024, when the company’s plans went sideways after a disastrous update to its app. First up is the Sonos Play, the company’s latest portable speaker. Long-time Sonos watchers will recognize the name from the old Play:1, Play:3 and Play:5 speakers, but this new model has little to do with those products of the past. The $299 Play is a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker that sits between the $179 Roam 2 and $499 Move 2 and could be the “goldilocks” speaker in the company’s portable lineup, at least based on what I know so far.
The closest comparison for the Play is the excellent Era 100, which Sonos released back in 2023. At 7.6” tall, 4.4” wide and 3” deep, it’s much thinner than the Era 100 which is over 5 inches deep. And compared to the Move 2 (9.5” x 6.3 x 5”) it’s much more portable. That goes for weight, too — the Play is less than 3 pounds, compared to over 6.5 pounds for the Move 2. It’s not the kind of speaker you’ll throw in your bag and forget about, like the tiny Roam 2, but it’s far more portable than the Move 2. Finally, the Play is IP67 rated, just like the Roam 2. That means it can be submerged in up to a meter of water for up to 30 minutes; it’s also dustproof.
The grab handle on the back of the Sonos Play.
Sonos
From a speaker component perspective, it’s again quite similar to the Era 100. It has two tweeters positioned at a 90-degree angle for stereo separation paired with one midwoofer; it also has two additional passive radiators to increase the bass response in its relatively small case. The Era 100 lacks those passive radiators but is otherwise identical. Obviously, we’ll have to listen to the Play before saying how closely it compares to the Era 100, but this speaker should significantly outperform the Roam 2 simply due to the increased size of its components. The Move 2, on the other hand, is extremely loud and will likely still be the best choice for people who want a speaker to cover a large outdoor space.
You’ll find familiar controls on the Sonos Play, which comes in black or white. (Fingers crossed for future color options like the lovely trio that Sonos offers on the Roam.) On the top surface are buttons for play/pause, volume up and down and a microphone toggle. On the back is a power button, a Bluetooth button and a physical switch that disconnects the microphone for increased security. Finally, there’s a new feature here: a removable plastic grab loop.
Sonos was keen to note that the Play is a full-featured member of the Sonos ecosystem. Like all of its other speakers, that means you’ll see all Sonos speakers in the app and can group them as you see fit, or have different music playing on different speakers throughout the house. You can also pair two of these in stereo. If you remove one from your network (say you’re outside and away from Wi-Fi), you’ll need to re-pair them though. In addition to controlling playback via the Sonos app (which, in my testing, is functioning fine and recovered from the 2024 debacle), you can stream music via AirPlay 2 or Spotify Connect. The Sonos Voice Assistant as well as Amazon Alexa are also on board here for anyone who likes to shout at their speakers.
The Sonos Play on its wireless charging base.
Sonos
There’s a new trick here for both the Play and Move 2, as well. For the first time, you can group Sonos speakers together through Bluetooth. After pairing a Play to your phone via Bluetooth, you can press and hold the play/pause button on three more Play or Move 2 speakers to add them to the group. If you want to cover a larger outdoor space with multiple speakers, this sounds like a pretty handy way to do so.
The Play also has line-in via its USB-C port, and you can use it for Ethernet as well; both features require a separate adapter. You can even use the USB-C port to top up your phone if you’re so inclined. And while you can also charge via the USB-C port, the Play comes with a wireless charging dock which makes for a nice home base for the speaker’s primary location. Annoyingly, Sonos did not include a charger, so you’ll need to provide your own USB-C brick.
A pair of Sonos Era 100 SL speakers with a turntable.
Sonos
Sonos is also adding a second, much simpler speaker to its lineup today: the Era 100 SL. Like the One SL before it, the Era 100 SL is identical to the Era 100 with one key difference. There are no microphones on it at all. As such, the Era 100 SL is also a bit cheaper, coming in at $189 compared to $219 for the standard model.
Otherwise, there are no differences in acoustic architecture or feature set here. As its most affordable speaker besides the portable Roam 2, Sonos is positioning the Era 100 SL as the ideal entry point into its products. I can’t really argue with that, as the Era 100 still sounds outstanding and is also quite flexible with features like line-in and Bluetooth as well as all the standard streaming options. Both versions of the Era 100 are compatible with each other, too — so if you get an SL and then decide you want a stereo pair, a standard Era 100 with a mic will work there and bring voice control to your system as well.
Both the $299 Play and $189 Era 100 SL are up for pre-order now, and Sonos says they’ll be shipping on March 31.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/the-sonos-play-puts-the-best-parts-of-the-era-100-in-a-portable-speaker-133000129.html?src=rss
I really don't know how Apple did it. The MacBook Neo is a $600 laptop that doesn't feel like an afterthought, which is a curse that has befallen so many cheap Windows notebooks. Sure, it has a slower A-series processor and it's limited to 8GB of RAM. But the MacBook Neo still feels as deeply considered as Apple's most premium hardware. Its screen, trackpad and overall usability is so far ahead of the competition, every Windows PC maker, including Microsoft, should be ashamed.
I've argued that a cheap MacBook could be the best for Apple to peel away Windows users, and after spending almost a week with the Neo, I'm convinced it will do just that. It's just fast enough to handle basic productivity work. It's sturdy enough to be tortured by kids in classrooms. And you really can't beat its $599 starting price. Once Windows users learn it's not that hard to switch to macOS, Apple will likely have another hit on its hands.
What's so Neo about this MacBook?
I'll admit, I laughed at the MacBook Neo's name at first. It really does feel like a desperately hip name ASUS or Acer would slap onto their machines (in fact, Acer is doing so right now), rather than something Apple would even consider. But the Neo name is more than just a dated reference to the Matrix — it's also a clear signal that this is a new type of MacBook. It's the first one Apple has ever been able to sell so cheaply. It's the first one powered by a mobile A-series chip. And for many people, it will likely end up being their first Mac.
The MacBook Neo also marks the first time Apple has built a value-focused notebook under $1,000. The adorable handle-equipped iBook G3 looked like a system geared towards kids, but it launched at $1,599 in 1999. The original MacBook Air, which Steve Jobs revealed by pulling it out of a manilla envelope, sold for $1,799 in 2008. MacBooks only got semi-affordable when Apple dropped the Air's entry price to $999 in 2014. (The starting price has bounced between $999 and $1,099 ever since.) It dabbled in the concept further by keeping the M1 MacBook Air around at Walmart stores for $699 in 2024 before eventually dropping its price down to $650 last year. If you were lucky, you could also find it for $499 during some holiday sales.
A citrus MacBook Neo being held up with one hand.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
While the M1 MacBook Air was a great value over the last few years, its last-gen Apple design aged quickly. The Neo looks far more modern, with an all-aluminum case that resembles the current Air (it's a bit smaller, but weighs the same 2.7 pounds). Color is the Neo's biggest draw, with bolder options like the greenish citrus and pink blush, along with Apple's typical dark and light case options. The citrus hue is the most unique, as we've seen rose gold MacBooks before. It would have been nice to see other strong colors too, like a brighter blue or something with a hint of purple. The people want personality, Apple!
Under the hood, the MacBook Neo is a story of compromise, more so than any MacBook before it. Apple had to find a way to deliver its premium user experience while also cutting costs significantly to reach its $599 price. Relying on the A18 Pro, which powered last year's iPhone 16 Pro, was likely far more cost effective instead of using an older M-series chip that isn't being built anymore. That A18 Pro chip also means the MacBook Neo has to be fairly limited when it comes to ports: there are only two USB-C connections on board (one is USB 3.0, and the other is USB 2.0). There's no MagSafe charging connection, which is a shame since the MacBook Neo will likely end up around trip-prone kids in schools and homes.
A citrus MacBook Neo's USB-C ports.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
The biggest compromise lies in the MacBook Neo's RAM and disk space. It starts with just 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. You can shell out another $100 to get 512GB of storage and a Touch ID button, but there's no way to add more RAM. Typically, my first piece of advice to any prospective computer buyer is to get at least 16GB of memory, as that's the easiest way to see faster performance when juggling tons of tabs, apps and large files. That's particularly true for Mac laptops, since Apple's unified memory is baked into its A-series and M-series chips.
The MacBook Neo's 8GB limitation shows the precise audiences Apple is targeting with the MacBook Neo: casual users. Those include people who need secondary machines for light workloads and schools relying on Chromebooks. I'm not reneging on my 16GB RAM recommendation — if the idea of less RAM in your main computer makes your skin crawl, the Neo isn't for you. The MacBook Air is still around, and it can easily be equipped with tons of RAM and storage.
Apple also deserves credit for squeezing in an impressive 1080p webcam in the Neo, something I haven’t seen in any other $600 Windows notebook. And while the resolution is impressive, Apple’s image processing also manages to deliver sharp and vibrant image quality. It’s usually easy to tell the overall quality of someone’s computer on group video calls based on their video quality. The MacBook Neo will have people thinking you’re calling in from a pricier MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.
When I first demoed the MacBook Neo at Apple's launch event, its keyboard felt a bit flimsier than those on the Air and Pro. But I may have just been distracted by the crowd and noise. My review unit's keyboard feels just as accurate as the Air's, allowing me to type at full speed (near 100 words per minute) without any issues. There's none of the weird input problems I noticed on Dell's far more expensive XPS 14.
The MacBook Neo's trackpad is similarly responsive and accurate for swiping and gestures. That's particularly surprising, since Apple isn’t using a haptic Force Touch trackpad like all of its laptops for the past decade. The Neo's pad clicks down mechanically — and yet, it doesn't feel as muddy as similar trackpads we see on budget PCs. It's also notable that Apple was able to make the Neo's trackpad completely clickable, whereas PC mechanical options often only click along their bottom half or third.
A citrus MacBook Neo on a table outside.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
Enough Mac for most
I didn't expect much from the Neo's A18 Pro processor and limited specs, and yet it still managed to surprise me. It easily handled having dozens of tabs open across multiple browsers, a show playing on the TV app, photo editing in Pixelmator Pro and running the new Apple Arcade title Oceanhorn 3 without any significant slowdown. There's clearly some swift memory management going on, delivering just enough RAM for the task right in front of you.
The Neo's RAM usage typically hovered between 80 and 85 percent when I was trying to stress it, but it never went beyond that range. And if you're curious, the Neo typically used around 50 percent of its memory just to run macOS, even with no other apps running.
I'd bet most people wouldn't see a major performance difference between the MacBook Neo and the Air for basic tasks. Even their screens look similar: The Neo's LCD panel has only a slightly lower resolution than the Air's, but its smaller 13-inch screen size gives it a similarly rich pixel density. The screen looks bold and colorful indoors, and it's also bright enough to use in direct sunlight outside. That's not something you usually see on $600 laptops.
Oceanhorn 3 on a MacBook Neo.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
During a demo at the Neo's launch event, I saw its screen compared side-by-side to a $600 HP laptop. The difference was literally night and day — the HP's display struggled to show the vibrancy of daylight photos, while the Neo's made photos pop off the screen. Similarly, the Neo's side-firing speakers sound significantly better than the tinny garbage HP stuffs into its discount machines. The Neo's speakers are ideal for watching videos and streaming content, but they definitely lack the clarity and low-end bump from the Air and MacBook Pro's upward firing speakers.
Geekbench 6 CPU
Geekbench 6 GPU
Cinebench 2024
Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro)
3,372 /8,406
19,511
107/324
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4, 2025)
3,784/14,745
36,273
172/660 GPU: 3,465
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3, 2024)
3,190/12,102
30,561
N/A
Microsoft Surface Pro 12-inch (2025, Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus)
2,315/10,915
9,539
108/530
I was definitely trying to push the MacBook Neo harder than a typical user, but it simply kept delivering. In Geekbench 6's CPU benchmark, the MacBook Neo sits between the M2 and M3 MacBook Air for single-core tests, and below the M2 for multi-threaded work. Apple's hardware still manages to put Intel and AMD to shame, with single-threaded Geekbench 6 scores that are higher than the latest hardware from both companies. But of course, that's just one benchmark — beefy CPUs with active cooling will still be more performant overall.
What’s most impressive about the MacBook Neo is that it manages to be a functional and well-rounded notebook at just $599. Microsoft’s “low-budget” $800 Surface Pro 12-inch was cute, but we found its performance incredibly underwhelming (and you still had to pay more for the keyboard). The 2.2-pound ZenBook A14 was impressively light, but again it was just too slow to be useful. Apple probably could have worked harder to make the MacBook Neo a tad lighter, but it’s still easy to hold and travel with. I’d much rather Apple kept it at the MacBook Air’s 2.7-pound weight, instead of making the Neo less powerful or more expensive.
The only time the MacBook Neo completely failed was when I tried to run complex games meant for Apple's M-series chips. Lies of P installed just fine, but upon launch it just stopped as it tried to load shaders. Honestly, I'm surprised I was even able to install it in the first place. The most gaming you'll do on the Neo are things built specifically for Apple Arcade and the company's mobile chips, or cloud streaming options like GeForce Now or Xbox.
During our battery test, which involves looping a 4K video, the MacBook Neo lasted 12 hours and 15 minutes. That's far below the 18 hours and 15 minutes I saw on the M4 MacBook Air, but it's still enough to last you during a typical work or school day. Again, Apple also had to sacrifice plugging in a bigger battery to keep the Neo's costs down.
A citrus MacBook Neo on a table outside.
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget
Should you buy the MacBook Neo?
It's rare for Apple to genuinely surprise me these days, but the MacBook Neo did just that. It's a $599 computer that can handle basic workloads just fine, all the while looking like one of the company's more expensive notebooks. Most importantly, it delivers more speed, a brighter screen and an overall better user experience than any competing $600 Windows PC. It's so good, I think it'll make many people wonder why they've stuck with sub-par PCs for so long.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/macbook-neo-review-apple-puts-every-600-windows-pc-to-shame-130000878.html?src=rss
Shazam is now available within ChatGPT, if you don’t want to launch the music discovery app on your phone for, well, reasons. You will have to link the Shazam app with the chatbot first from its Apps page, after which you can summon it in-chat to identify whatever song is playing. To summon Shazam in-chat, you can use prompts like “Shazam, what’s playing?” or “Shazam, what is this song?”
A box will pop up that you can tap on to launch the music discovery service, which will then listen to the tune playing. ChatGPT will display the song’s name, artist and artwork, along with the option to save the song to Shazam. Take note that the feature will work within ChatGPT even if you don’t have the music discovery app downloaded on your device, which does make it useful if you’re using a phone with full memory. The Shazam integration has started rolling out globally within ChatGPT on iOS, Android and the web.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/you-can-now-use-chatgpt-to-open-shazam-instead-of-just-opening-shazam-114000363.html?src=rss
Now that Apple is designing and engineering its own silicon, the updates come fast. It’s been less than two years since the company released the M2-powered iPad Air and we’re already on our third iPad Air iteration, one with the M4 inside. That’s the same chip that was inside the iPad Pro in 2024.
That’s one way of expressing how powerful 2025's iPad Air now is – and it remains a step above the base iPad in most ways. However, there’s room for improvement. Apple has stuck with the same display for another year. The 11-inch iPad Air that Nathan Ingraham reviewed seems to have has the same screen in 2026 as it did when the first no-Home button iPad Air was released in late 2020. (And that’s the one I’m still using!) Also, why still no FaceID?
Qualcomm, which bought microcontroller board manufacturer Arduino last year, just announced a new single-board computer that marries AI with robotics. The Ventuno Q is more sophisticated (and expensive) than Arduino's usual AIO boards, thanks to the Dragonwing IQ8 processor that includes an 8-core ARM Cortex CPU, Adreno Arm Cortex A623 GPU and Hexagon Tensor NPU that can reach up ot 40 TOPs. It also pacs in Arduino App Lab, with pre-trained AI models including LLMs, VLMs, gesture recognition and object tracking, all running offline.
Siri's ongoing AI overhaul could be to blame for the wait.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is back with the latest rumors on new Apple hardware and the company’s continued Siri woes. His sources say that Apple is expected to postpone its smart home display until later in 2026, possibly September, when it often introduces another barrage of new gadgets. The hardware has reportedly been finished for months, but the AI-centric overhaul of Siri is still not done.
Dell’s revamped XPS 14 is more powerful than ever. The XPS series has long been a favorite at Engadget, and this one’s lightweight and features a gorgeous OLED screen. However, Dell’s keyboard this year has a baffling flaw: its keyboard. It somehow forces you to type more slowly to log each key press. And this isn’t a capacitive touchscreen or anything complicated. According to Dell, “a small batch of early XPS units” have these quick typing issues. They also say the issue is currently resolved and doesn’t affect XPS units shipping now. We’ll be checking once a firmware update, meant to fix the issue, lands.
Rode’s not done releasing trimmed-down versions of its production tools with an eye on budget conscious creators. Today, it’s launching Rodecaster Video Core, an all-in-one studio setup which sits below its flagship Rodecaster Video and its (now) mid-range Video S. It’s aimed at folks who are either dipping a toe into this world, or already have audio gear and just want to broaden out to HD video as well. Arguably, the biggest change is the lack of any controls on the hardware itself, as you’ll be running the show entirely from inside the Rodecaster App.
In terms of connectivity, you’ll find three HDMI-in, one HDMI-out, four USB-C, two 3.5mm and two Neutrik combo ports ‘round back. Connect a compatible video device to a USB-C port and you’ll be able to run up to four sources at a time, and you can even use network cameras via Ethernet. Plus, you’ll be able to use the Rode Capture app to wirelessly connect the feed from an iOS device to your setup. And you’ll even be able to set it up to automatically switch between feeds based on audio inputs, reducing your need to micromanage multi-person feeds.
Rode
And, if you’re already rocking one of Rode’s audio consoles, the Rodecaster Sync app will make your life a lot easier. Essentially, if you’ve got a Rodecaster Pro 2 or Duo, you’ll be able to hook it up to your Video Core, allowing you to set shortcuts directly to your pads. In fact, you can run your audio and video setup from the one desk, hopefully reducing the amount of fiddling you need to do in the middle of your stream.
Core is designed to stream straight to YouTube, Twitch and any other platforms you’d care to use instead. You’ll be able to record your footage to an external drive and, thanks yo a new firmware update across the range, you’ll also be able to output a EDL file for DaVinci Resolve. Oh, and you’ll now be able to import media in non-standard resolutions and aspect ratios — such as square footage from social media — which will be automatically scaled and optimized for your show.
Rodecaster Video Core is available to pre-order now for $599, but there’s no word yet on when the sturdy boxes will start winging their way around the world.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/rodes-rodecaster-video-core-makes-livestreaming-even-cheaper-230053061.html?src=rss
Mark Gurman at Bloomberg is back with the latest rumors about what's afoot with Apple's future plans, and how its ongoing difficulties with artificial intelligence seem to be creating further delays for its next wave of product launches. His sources say that Apple is expected to postpone the debut of its smart home display until later in 2026, likely September when it often introduces new gadgets. Although the hardware has reportedly been finished for months, this delay is being credited to the company's AI-centric overhaul of Siri still not being complete.
The device, internally known as J490, has been one of Apple's many poorly-kept secrets. Rumors about a HomePod smart speaker coupled with a screen first emerged back in 2022 and have resurfaced from time to time in the interim, often with promises that the device's arrival was imminent. The latest claims anticipated that the official announcement was coming this spring, possibly as soon as this month. However, appears to Apple once again be hamstrung by an AI strategy that has left it scrambling to catch up to other industry leaders.
Apple has been working to incorporate more AI capabilities into Siri for more than a year as part of its Apple Intelligence package. Gurman reports that the new timeline from Apple aims to have the revamp completed for the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro, which is also expected for September. Apple may unveil this long-awaited Siri-as-chatbot during its WWDC keynote in the summer before it shows up in any devices.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/apple-reportedly-delays-its-planned-smart-display-launch-to-fall-194539082.html?src=rss
It's pretty easy to use. Women riders will see an option for Women Drivers when requesting a trip, and this also works when making a reservation in advance. Users can also make a preference for a woman driver in the settings app, though this doesn't guarantee anything and depends on the driver pool.
The feature works in much the same way for drivers. Women drivers will be able to request trips with women riders via the settings.
Uber isn't the only rideshare company trying to make half of the world's population a bit safer during trips. Lyft has been expanding its own take on the feature, which it also recently took nationwide.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/uber-expands-its-program-that-helps-pair-women-riders-and-drivers-184832010.html?src=rss
Samsung just announced that 120 games will be playable via its Odyssey 3D Hub platform by the end of the year. This is the platform that provides content for glasses-free 3D monitors like recent Odyssey displays.
The company made this claim at GDC 2026, while also noting that the platform currently offers around 60 playable titles. Samsung has only announced a couple of games headed to the platform this year, which include Cronos: The New Dawn and Hell is Us. These are both solid third-person action games that originally came out last year.
The collection already includes several notable games, including Stellar Blade, Lies of P and Psychonauts 2, among others. It's good to know the library continues to grow, proving that there might still be some life left in 3D display technology after all.
We came away impressed with the technology when we gave it a go last year. We even said that if "3D had been like this all along, people would be much more receptive." The games look great and the displays include head tracking so users don't have to constantly struggle to find the one sweet spot (I'm looking at you, Nintendo 3DS.)
Samsung has quietly been adding to its lineup of glasses-free 3D displays. There are several models to choose from nowadays, with screen sizes up to 32-inches.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/samsung-promises-120-games-will-be-playable-via-its-glasses-free-3d-monitor-tech-by-the-end-of-the-year-180102470.html?src=rss
Perhaps one of the most surprising things about the Apple Silicon era is how quickly Apple now updates its products. Take the iPad Air, for example. It’s been less than two years since the company released the M2-powered iPad Air in 11- and 13-inch sizes. We’re already on our third iPad Air iteration, one with the M4 inside. That’s the same chip that was inside the iPad Pro that was unveiled alongside that M2-powered Air in 2024. (The Pro was updated with an M5 last fall.)
Just as I said a year ago when Apple unveiled the iPad Air M3, this latest model doesn’t fundamentally change the formula. The Air is a notable step up over the basic iPad, with a more powerful processor, more RAM, a better display and superior accessories like the Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard. The Air line is also the only way to get a 13-inch iPad without spending $1,300 or more.
But without more substantial updates this year, I find myself less enthused by it than I was when the 13-inch model M2 model arrived in 2024. That’s primarily because Apple has stuck with the same display for another year. As best I can tell, the 11-inch iPad Air that I’m reviewing has the same screen in 2026 as it did when the redesigned version with no Home button was released in late 2020. Other features that feel like they should be table stakes at this point, like Face ID, are also restricted to iPads that cost at least $1,000. For better or worse, the Air is a very mature product with few surprises. But on the other hand, if you have an iPad older than the 2024 refresh, the iPad Air M4 will provide a solid performance improvement.
Apple's iPad Air M4 and the Magic Keyboard accessory.
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
The M4 still has power to spare
Before we start answering existential questions, though, let’s quickly recap what’s new with the iPad Air. It still starts at $599 for an 11-inch version with 128GB of storage; the 13-inch models starts at $799. The one I tested came in an extremely light purple color with 1TB of storage and 5G connectivity and costs $1,249. Seriously Apple, don’t be afraid of putting a little more saturation in these colors next time! As mentioned, the iPad Air now has a more powerful M4 chip as well as 50 percent more system memory (12GB, up from 8GB on last year’s model). If you’re coming from an iPad older than the 2024 model, you’ll likely notice solid performance gains, and the M4 is so performant that I imagine this iPad will be more than powerful enough for years to come.
It looks purple-ish in the right light, I swear.
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
I ran some Geekbench 6 benchmarks to quantify the difference between the iPad Air M4 and last year’s M3 model — unsurprisingly, the biggest gains came in the GPU. Single-core and multi-core scores were 23 percent and 12 percent higher, respectively. But the GPU score was a whopping 39 percent higher with the M4 compared to the M3. Don’t get me wrong, the single-core and multi-core performance improvements the M4 offers are impressive. But tasks that hit the GPU hard, like gaming and AI (of course) should see notable improvements.
In practice, the iPad Air M4 feels quite similar to the M3 model. That’s due in large part to my relatively modest workflow. I jump between numerous apps all day, but none of them are exactly taxing to a chip like the M4. My day mostly consists of Slack, Google Docs, a ton of Safari tabs, utilities like Messages and Todoist, constant streaming music and other lightweight apps like Gmail and Trello. But if you’re coming from an M1 iPad Air, the M4 should feel significantly faster for almost everything you do.
Apple's iPad Air M4 playing the video game 'Control.'
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
Unsurprisingly, the iPad Air flies through games from the App Store as well. I tried my usual more casual fare like Balatro, Mini Motorways and Powerwash Simulator from Apple Arcade and those were all quite smooth. But I wanted to push things a bit more, so I downloaded Resident Evil 2 as well as a pre-release build of Control Ultimate Edition which is slated to hit iOS in the coming months. Both games looked and played great, with highly detailed environments and pretty quick action that didn’t slow the iPad Air down in the least. I could tell the graphics aren’t as sharp as on my PS5, but both games were impressive considering they’re running on extremely portable hardware with no fans.
I also tried some generative AI apps, even though that’s not really something I’m interested in. For apps like Apple’s own Image Playground, the M4 is extremely speedy. It ripped through my goofy queries (an orange kitten dressed up like an astronaut) in a matter of seconds. When I compared it to the iPad Pro M5, the Air barely lagged behind it. However, the M4 couldn’t quite keep up with more advanced image generation tools. The Draw Things iPad app lets you download and run a host of local models to create images, and the M4 definitely couldn’t keep up with the M5. The iPad Pro M5 was typically more than twice as fast as the Air. We already knew the M5 was an AI beast, so I’m not knocking the Air for its performance at all — it’s just worth knowing that if you really want to push the envelope, you’ll probably be better off with an iPad Pro.
Apple's iPad Air M4, Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard.
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
The other main change is Apple’s in-house networking chips are on board here. The N1 covers Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread, while the C1X handles cellular connectivity if you buy a 5G-capable model. Again, this doesn’t change the experience of using the iPad Air in any major way, but having the newest Wi-Fi and Bluetooth protocols on board is good for future usage, regardless of who built the chip. In my testing, the C1X on Verizon’s 5G network was extremely fast around the suburbs of Boston and didn’t seem any slower (or any faster) than other devices I have running on the same carrier. That’s fine, as other Apple devices I’ve tried with the C1X (like the iPad Pro) are solid and reliable, which is the most important thing.
A very familiar experience
Other than these new chips, the iPad Air is identical to the last two models I’ve reviewed. (This year, Apple sent an 11-inch Air M4 to review, while the last two were the newer 13-inch. But other than the larger screen, those tablets are the same.) Same screen, same cameras, same 10-hour estimated battery life, same USB-C 3 port. Naturally, it supports the $129 Pencil Pro that Apple introduced alongside it in 2024, and it works with the revamped Magic Keyboard Apple released last year. That keyboard remains quite expensive at $269 ($319 for the 13-inch model), but for me it’s a must-buy accessory if I want to use my iPad for any “real work.” The Pencil, on the other hand, is not something I personally need, but it’s an excellent tool for anyone interested in visual art or written notes. There are a plethora of excellent apps in both categories, and the iPad app ecosystem at large remains unmatched.
Battery life also hits what I’d expect out of an iPad. I don’t get 10 hours the way that I test it — I used the iPad Air as my main machine, all day for several days. In that scenario, I got between seven and eight hours of battery life. That’s more than enough that I’d take it with me for half a day or more and not worry about charging, but not so long that I’d be totally comfortable without a charger for much longer. In a more casual, mixed-use setup, most iPads get closer to the 10-hour mark and I expect that’ll be the case here as well. Of course, if you’re playing games, editing videos or doing heavier generative AI tasks, expect battery life to drop noticeably.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t quickly mention iPadOS 26, which arrived last fall. It runs on iPad Air models all the way back to 2019, so it’s not a reason alone to upgrade. But, it improved the multitasking experience on iPads to a significant degree. It still feels native to the iPad, but there are so many Mac-like flourishes that it’s a lot easier for me to use as my main computer now. That said, it really shines on larger-screen iPads; the 11-inch model still feels best to me when running an app fullscreen or two apps side-by-side feels most comfortable to me.
Apple's iPad Air M4 and Magic Keyboard.
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
My major lament for the iPad Air remains the screen. Apple’s LCD Retina display still looks great in a vacuum — it’s a lovely standard screen, with bright colors and sharp text. But Apple’s continued insistence on gatekeeping a screen with a higher refresh rate for iPads that cost $1000 or more gets more frustrating every year. It bothers me less on a product like the MacBook Air. But with an iPad, you’re literally touching and interacting with that screen as the main interface. Having the fluidity of a 120Hz refresh rate simply makes everything feel more responsive to your touch.
The consolation is that even Apple’s standard displays still feel very smooth, so unless you’re directly comparing an iPad Air to an iPad Pro you likely won’t notice the difference. I mostly forgot about it in my time reviewing this device, only reminded of it when I went back to the iPad Pro.
I also wish that Apple would implement more advanced display tech. Last year, I imagined that the mini-LED display used in the iPad Pro in 2021 and 2022 would be a great step up for the Air. It wouldn’t be as good as the tremendous OLED screen in the iPad Pro, but it would still offer HDR and significantly increased brightness and contrast. Alas, we’re stuck with a plain old LCD again this year. Again, that’s mostly fine, but playing games like Control made me wish for more contrast, and movies do not have nearly the same visual pop on the Air as they do on the Pro.
Apple's iPad Air M4.
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget
Wrap-up
If it’s not obvious, I very much wish that Apple would bring some of its more advanced technology to the iPad Air. But at this point, I have to accept that the Air is what it is. In the same way that the MacBook Air hasn’t changed substantially since the M2 model arrived in 2022, the same goes for the iPad Air. Both products still have displays that haven’t been cutting edge for years, and that’s just the way it is.
Once I started comparing the iPad Air to its Mac counterpart, my negative feeling mostly subsided. I think the MacBook Air is a great laptop and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to many people. Sure, its screen isn’t cutting edge, but it’s good enough for its target audience. And the many positives that it has outweigh a few places where Apple cut corners. The same can be said for the iPad Air.
The iPad Air offers a lot of important upgrades over the basic $349 iPad, which is saddled with the A16 chip from 2022. The Air will be a better performer for much longer, and other niceties like a better screen and accessory support are worth considering. And it doesn’t threaten the iPad Pro, which costs $400 more; between its screen, improved performance, superior industrial design and numerous other small benefits, it’s pretty easy to see what you get for your money in all cases.
So while I wish Apple would push the envelope with the iPad Air and give me something that feels more like a Pro-lite, I understand why it hasn't yet. The iPad Air isn’t an exciting gadget at this point, but I still think it’s the best iPad for most people.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/ipad-air-m4-review-still-apples-best-overall-tablet-with-a-few-caveats-130000409.html?src=rss
By introducing the iPhone 17e just a year after the iPhone 16e, Apple is closing some gaps. Before, the company would only roll out a new entry-level iPhone every few years, with the iPhone 5c (2013), iPhone XR (2018) and iPhone SE (2016, 2020, 2022) all having two to four years between their releases. But Apple is getting into an annual groove now, and having renamed the device to integrate better with the rest of the iPhone lineup, Apple is making a clear statement: It cares about the midrange now.
With the current state of global economics, Apple’s focus on lower cost devices like the iPhone 17e and newly launched MacBook Neo is timely. Most people probably don’t make full use of the high-powered machines in their pockets and on their laps, and might be reconsidering whether they need to spend as much money on the Pros and the Airs of Apple’s product lineup. At $599, the iPhone 17e is about half the price of an iPhone 17 Pro or the iPhone Air. It’s $200 cheaper than the base iPhone 17, too.
Since I reviewed the iPhone 16e last year, I’ve been using it as a work phone, mostly for Slack, email and light editing in Docs. The way I see it, most people considering the iPhone 17e are likely in a similar situation — either thinking of getting a supplementary device or looking for a good enough phone for a child or other dependent. For this review, I’ve tried to cover most of those scenarios whether it be a person that would spend most of their phone time on social media and games like a teenager or someone that’s largely using it for administrative work purposes. I mostly want to answer this question: If you’re getting your first iPhone or buying one for someone else, should you get the iPhone 17e or the iPhone 17?
iPhone 17e vs iPhone 16e, for testing’s sake
It’s very clear from Apple’s website that it doesn’t want you comparing the iPhone 17e to the iPhone 16e. The company doesn't allow you to do so in the comparison tool on the iPhone 17e product page, limiting you to the iPhone 11, iPhone 12 and the iPhone SE (second and third generations). Sure, I understand that no one is really thinking about getting an iPhone 17e after just buying the 16e last year. But for the purposes of this review, it makes sense for me to shout out what’s new from the previous generation. The most significant additions this year are the A19 chip, double the storage, improved Portrait photography and MagSafe with faster wireless charging. Oh, and a new pink color option, adding an ever so subtle splash of color to the previously monochromatic lineup.
The A19 chip is supposed to make AI processes faster, thanks to the neural accelerators in its GPU. In my testing so far, the difference has been negligible at best. Initially I was seeing the iPhone 17e perform slower than the 16e, but after a software update, the iPhone 17e caught up. In Apple Intelligence-powered tools like Cleanup, the iPhone 17e was a split second faster at identifying unwanted objects in photos and erasing them than the 16e. If you’ve just received your iPhone 17e and run into issues where image generation or cleanup is slow or stalling, give it a day or so for the software to stabilize.
Oddly, in some side-by-side Image Playground testing, the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e were neck and neck. Sometimes, the iPhone 16e was faster. Occasionally, the iPhone 17e was ahead. I’ll continue to keep an eye on how both phones do here, as it could still be due to some early software issues, but for now the improvements from the A19’s GPU seem to be hit or miss.
The pink iPhone 17e and the white iPhone 16e held up in one palm in front of a red brick wall.
Cherlynn Low for Engadget
Improved portraits on the iPhone 17e
Of all the improvements to the iPhone 17e, to me, one of the most important is in portraits. In my review of the iPhone 16e, I said that the majority of my grievances with the single camera setup was the fact that Apple ended up using an older version of Portrait mode.
That version was much more limited and didn’t allow for applying a background blur to pictures of non-human subjects. This time, Apple borrowed the algorithms it developed for the iPhone Air for the iPhone 17e’s rear and front cameras. This not only delivers a general improvement to portraits, with better segmentation and a more natural-looking bokeh effect, but also allows for depth information to be captured when applicable. For instance, when a person, cat or dog is detected, the iPhone 17e will automatically capture depth information so you can apply a blur after the picture is taken, even if you didn’t use Portrait mode initially.
Importantly, these “next-gen portraits” also allow you to edit the level of blur and change up the focal point of the picture after you’ve taken the shot. In some photos of my neighbor’s grumpy shih-poo, I was shocked that my colleagues actually preferred the samples I shared from the iPhone 16e over the ones from the iPhone 17e. But their critique was fair: the newer phone blurred out Oreo’s tail, keeping only his face in focus. I was able to address this by going into the editing tools and dragging the slider for aperture to bring more of the dog into focus. I also played around and tapped on Oreo’s tail to make it clear, and the iPhone 17e blurred up his face instead.
Two photo samples side by side, featuring a dog on a blue leash staring up into the camera.
Cherlynn Low for Engadget
When using Portrait mode to photograph people, the iPhone 17e did indeed deliver more pleasant bokeh than its predecessor. In pictures of my friend Brenda Stolyar, with the “depth” or aperture set to f/4.5 across both devices, there was more softness in the brick wall behind her on the new phone. I was slightly confused since it seemed like the older iPhone actually delivered a sharper picture, until I realized it was actually just softer bokeh.
For those coming from older phones like the iPhone 11, 12 or SE, the addition of next-gen portraits should feel like a major step up. Even when compared to the iPhone 16e, the fact that I was now able to apply the effect on photos of food and other inanimate objects with no faces made me happier. It makes the camera more versatile, and feels like a noteworthy update that makes your photos feel more modern.
But that is definitely because I like pictures with the artificial depth of field effect. If you don’t care for bokeh and really only want a phone’s cameras to be good enough to snap pictures of menus or receipts, for instance, the 17e’s improvements here won’t mean much.
MagSafe and wireless charging
The rear of the iPhone 17e catches the light in front of a stone wall.
Cherlynn Low for Engadget
What might matter more, then, is this generation’s wireless charging speeds. While the iPhone 16e could only support up to 7.5W, the iPhone 17e goes up to 15W (with adapters of 20W or higher) and also works with MagSafe accessories. I can’t imagine anyone considering a new iPhone 17e already has magnetic cases or stands, but if you decide to invest in those accessories, you’ll find them convenient and satisfying.
I placed both models on my wireless charging stand — the 17e snapped on and started charging, while the 16e clattered helplessly off the stand. I placed it on the charging pad at the base instead and noted how much power each of them gained in 15 minutes. The improvement is clear: the iPhone 17e went up by 16 percent (30 percent to 46 percent), while the 16e only gained 3 percent (69 percent to just 72 percent).
Beyond the numbers, what this means is that when you’re in a pinch and trying to quickly top up your phone on, say, a wireless charger you found at a cafe, you won’t need to sit around as long with the iPhone 17e. For those of you that simply leave your phone on a stand overnight, this is less likely to meaningfully impact you.
There are a few other updates that I haven’t really tested in this review, like the improved durability with Ceramic Shield 2 on the iPhone 17e’s screen. The new display also has a treatment that is supposed to reduce glare, and considering the week of wonderfully gloomy weather we’ve had here in New York, this isn’t something I’ve truly had a chance to evaluate. Also, while I do appreciate the doubled storage, which is sure to please the media hoarders among us, I will say I’ve already been served warnings about my iCloud storage running out. It still feels like something else Apple might need to address, but for newcomers to the iOS world, the higher base storage is absolutely a positive.
Elsewhere, there are virtually no differences between the iPhone 17e and iPhone 16e. They have the same size displays with the same resolution, brightness, refresh rate, contrast ratio and color gamuts. Both are rated IP68 for dust and water resistance, and have similar battery lives (up to 26 hours of video playback, according to Apple). They also have the exact same dimensions of 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches, although the iPhone 17e does weigh a whole 2 grams (0.8 ounces) more than the 16e, which is almost definitely attributable to the addition of MagSafe. Unless you have weighing scales for hands, though, this difference is negligible.
An iPhone 17e held up in front of a tree trunk.
Cherlynn Low for Engadget
Should you get the iPhone 17e or the iPhone 17?
Where you might find more meaningful distinctions is when comparing the iPhone 17e to the iPhone 17. For $200 more, you’ll get longer battery life and slightly better performance thanks to one more GPU core. The iPhone 17 also has a larger, sharper and brighter display that’s 6.3-inches, with higher refresh rates and a full-screen design incorporating the Dynamic Island. It also supports the Always On Display and has an 18MP front camera with the Center Stage feature that allows for easy switching between landscape and vertical orientations in your selfies without having to rotate your phone.
In fact, the camera upgrades alone on the iPhone 17 might be worth the money. On top of getting the additional ultrawide camera, you’ll also gain the dedicated camera control button on the right edge, the latest generation of Photographic Styles, support for macro photography, Cinematic mode and Dual Capture in videos as well as spatial and macro recording capabilities. It also comes with sensor-shift optical image stabilization, which is more advanced than the OIS on the iPhone 17e. Rounding out that long list of differences is higher recharge speeds (with compatible chargers) and Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for more precise Find My support. The iPhone 17 also offers dual-frequency GPS and works with the latest standards in connectivity, like Thread, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 (whereas the iPhone 17e only gets to Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3).
Sure, the iPhone 17 is slightly taller and heavier, but considering all the bonuses and the extra camera, that feels like a tradeoff that is more than fair. It’s a lot more advanced for $200, and feels like a better starter phone than the iPhone 17e. But if your budget is tight and camera performance isn’t a priority, you’ll get a great experience from Apple’s latest.
The iPhone 17e held up in mid-air in front of some red foliage.
Cherlynn Low for Engadget
Wrap-up
In 2026, it feels like Apple has done the impossible. It’s managed to serve up multiple iPhones at various price points with enough meaningful differentiations to justify each tier. Meanwhile, each iPhone 17 in the full lineup is a capable and satisfying device for its price. Upgrading to the iPhone 17e from the iPhone 11, 12 or SE will certainly feel significant, although getting almost any current-gen phone will feel modern compared to those.
In fact, if you’re platform agnostic and wouldn’t mind an Android device, there are options out there with significantly superior screens and cameras. The Pixel 10a, for instance, offers a larger display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a dual-camera system all for $100 less. With Apple seeming to be setting its sights on the midrange market, it should seriously consider stepping up in those two areas in the next e-series iPhone.
But of course, the name “iPhone” carries its own premium, and the iPhone 17e is a solid entry-level handset for those who need a basic, no-frills path into the Apple ecosystem.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/iphone-17e-review-the-economical-choice-130000647.html?src=rss
