When is a quiet week in technology not a quiet week in technology? How about right now? Because while this week lacked the big releases of the last, it was still packed with great stories and impressive new technologies.
To start, we delivered our expert verdicts on the Apple devices that were revealed last week, and the MacBook Neo in particular blew us away. We also sat down for a long chat with the CEO of Sonos as the audio giant launched two new speakers and delivered our Google Pixel 10a review.
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7. DJI prepared the Avata 360 for takeoff
DJI’s first 360-degree drone has long been rumored, and this week it finally came to light. And while we still don’t know everything about it, we do know its name, release date, and one main spec.
The Avata 360, as it will be known, will be equipped with 8K video recording and will launch on March 26. More specs and pricing haven’t been revealed yet, but we’re already very excited about it.
It will compete against the excellent Antigravity A1, which debuted last year as the world’s first true 360-degree flying camera, but the Avata 360 will have an advantage over that rival because it will slot into an already formidable DJI drone ecosystem. Watch this space for more information ahead of the release date.
6. HBO began its global offensive against passwords
HBO Max’s password crackdown is going global according to the company’s CEO and president of global streaming, JB Perrette.
That means you may no longer be able to share an account with another HBO max user unless you pay an additional member fee, although that option is currently only available in the US.
However, how much longer will HBO Max last? The future of HBO Max currently depends on whether regulators approve Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery. According to at least one prominent media analyst, if this happens, HBO Max could shut down by the end of 2027.
5. Apple prepared its 50th anniversary celebrations
Apple will turn 50 in a couple of weeks and Tim Cook has been teasing what the tech giant has planned to celebrate the occasion.
“In the coming weeks, Apple and its global community will celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary, recognizing the creativity, innovation and impact that people around the world have made possible with Apple technology,” Cook said, before ending with a note to fans that read: “If you’ve taught us anything, it’s that the people crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”
So does that mean we should prepare for a crazy launch? The new MacBook Neo was impressive (see more on that below), but maybe the company has something up its sleeve for April 1?
4. We tested Google’s cheap Pixel
Even among the flashiest and most expensive technologies there’s room for a budget champion, and in the world of Android, the Google Pixel 10a is a strong contender for that title.
Our editor-in-chief Jacob Krol put it through its paces last week and, as his review says, it “proves that you don’t need major upgrades to make a great phone.”
So while you don’t get a new processor or updated camera hardware this year (instead you’re sticking with the Tensor G4 and the same dual camera system as the Pixel 9a), it gets the basics right: a comfortable design, great battery life, a bright screen and a reliable camera, all for a low price of $499 / £499 / AU$849.
3. And we also tested the Apple iPhone 17e
Sticking with the world of budget smartphones, we also reviewed Apple’s iPhone 17e and it also proved its worth as an affordable winner.
No, it doesn’t reinvent Apple’s budget-friendly iPhone approach, but it does bring some significant improvements to the iPhone 16e thanks to its A19 chip, double the starting storage of 256GB, and the long-awaited addition of MagSafe, all for the same starting price as the previous model.
The single rear camera will be a disappointment if you love taking photos and the screen isn’t as sharp as the iPhone 17, but if you’re looking for an affordable iPhone, there’s no better option in our tests.
2. The MacBook Neo left us speechless
It looks like the Apple MacBook Neo shouldn’t work. It runs on an iPhone chip, has just 8GB of unified memory, and includes older USB 2.0 technology. However, the Neo manages to offer a great MacBook experience – there are no compromises with macOS and it’s a much more capable machine than its budget counterparts running Windows 11 and ChromeOS.
Because? Well, for starters, performance is solid. Yes, you’ll want to stick to Apple apps instead of third-party alternatives and keep multitasking at a low level, but you can get a good level of utility out of this machine.
Then there’s the design, which is simply beautiful, with the Neo’s color popping off its aluminum casing, Magic keyboard and even macOS elements; Plus, the screen is impressive.
And then there’s the price. At $599 / £599 / AU$899, it stretches the definition of budget a bit, but compared to other MacBooks, or Windows competition, it’s a bargain.
1. Sonos gave us two new speakers and some explanations.
Sonos hasn’t had a very good time lately, with the disastrous and well-documented relaunch of the app drawing a lot of criticism and, ultimately, the replacement of its CEO in January 2025.
That was then and this is now, and this week Sonos launched not one but two new speakers: the Sonos Play and Sonos Era 100 SL. And its current CEO, Tom Conrad, was eager to sit down with us and explain what went wrong in 2024, what its strategy is for the future, and why we should be excited about the new devices.
You can read our Home Tech Editor-in-Chief Matt Bolton’s full interview with Conrad here and also check out Conrad’s thoughts on what went wrong with the Sonos app update. But for now let’s focus on the speakers.
The Sonos Era 100 SL is a new, more affordable version of the existing Era 100, but without microphones; therefore, it lacks the smart home features of the original, but is priced much more affordably.
Even more interesting is the Sonos Play. This new portable speaker falls between the Roam and Move models in terms of price and features, and Conrad believes it could be the “Goldilocks” speaker. And we think he might be right.
