Fast Charge

With the worst of Techtober behind us, and Black Friday on the horizon, the tech industry took a bit of a breather this week...well, except for one of the biggest tech companies on the planet completely re-branding, of course.

Facebook is now Meta, and Meta is all about the metaverse. The social network isn't going anywhere, but the company is changing focus - and luckily we have VR expert Lewis on hand to explain why, what it means, and what on earth the metaverse actually is.

Meanwhile, rumours have ramped up this week about the Galaxy S21 FE. Now tipped to launch at CES 2022 in January, we know a lot about the phone - and you can even go buy components for it online if you fancy. 

Then Netflix finally followed through on its long-promised move into gaming. Right now Netflix subscribers can play five games on Android devices from within the Netflix app, at no extra charge, including two titles based on Stranger Things. But can Netflix really conquer the games industry as it has TV?

This podcast is produced by IDG Communications.

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The final week of Techtober still has plenty to offer, with two major phone launches and the review embargo lifting on Google's Pixel 6 and 6 Pro.

First up, the Honor 50 has finally launched worldwide - with Google Mobile Services in tow. Dom has been testing the phone out for a week so is ready to let you know what he thinks of the new Honor mid-ranger - and a bit more about how it compares to the similar Huawei Nova 9.

Meanwhile Sony's surprise phone turned out to be, well, surprising. The Xperia Pro-I is camera first, phone second, using the same 1-inch main sensor as some of Sony's actual cameras, and is capable of recording 4K video at 120fps without any frame loss. All that comes at a price though - a whopping $1,800 to be exact.

Finally, after introducing the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro last week, Toddy and Chris are back to share their final thoughts and full reviews after testing the two phones for over a week. Are these the best Androids around?

This podcast is produced by IDG Communications.

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Techtober just won't stop, and this was one of the biggest weeks yet, with launches from Apple, Google, Huawei, and even a small stream from Samsung.

We're most excited about the Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, which after months of teases were finally revealed in full. There weren't many surprises yet - except some aggressive pricing - but Toddy and Chris have the phones and are ready to give their first impressions ahead of our full reviews next week.

The day before that Apple held its own event. Along with oddities like a Siri-only Apple Music plan, new HomePod Mini colours, and some new AirPods, the headline was the reveal of the new 14in and 16in MacBook Pros, complete with new Apple-designed M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.

Finally, today Huawei has its own launch planned - just in time for us to discuss it on the show. We'd hoped to meet the European version of the Huawei P50, but word now is that instead this will be the launch of the Nova 9 - but will the big H have any other surprises up its sleeve?

Note: Sorry this episode is a little late! To make up for it, episode 89 is right around the corner too, with episode 90 at the end of this week.

This podcast is produced by IDG Communications.

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It's a tech triple threat this week, as we cover the launches of a new phone, a new VR headset, and a new set of wearables.

The OnePlus 9RT may be exclusive to China and India, but it's still a new OnePlus flagship, and we always have time for them. Big upgrades to the chipset and camera make this an excellent upgrade - but why aren't we getting one in the West?

Meanwhile HTC has just debuted the Vive Flow, a new premium VR headset that's a little different. Built for entertainment, productivity, and mindfulness, this is a lightweight, phone-powered headset that puts comfort first - but may not keep up with your gaming needs.

Finally, Amazfit has overhauled its GTS and GTR watches for their third generation, with upgraded hardware and a new, streamlined OS. In the GTR 3 Pro we also have the first Amazfit smartwatch that lives up to the term, with Wi-Fi, a microphone, and the option to take calls through it - without giving up on the company's epic battery life.

This podcast is produced by IDG Communications.

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It's been a big old week for tech, with the Nintendo Switch OLED on the cusp of release and Windows 11 launching (and Android 12... sort of), while team Tech Advisor has also got their hands on the iPhone 13 series.

First up, Dom is going to run through his Switch OLED review (which you can also find on the channel). Is Nintendo's updated Switch console a worthwhile upgrade for existing owners, or is it just a half-step while we all wait for a 4K version?

Anyron is joining us to explain the essentials of the launch of Windows 11. You can update to the new OS now if you want to - but how do you go about it, and should you upgrade now or wait it out?

Finally, we've had a few days to test out the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro, along with the new iPad Mini, so brace yourself for our first thoughts on Apple's latest.

This podcast is produced by IDG Communications.

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Amazon dominated this week with the announcement of a slew of new products including its very first robot, while in China Xiaomi introduced an entirely new phone line, and the first full renders of the Galaxy S22 series appeared online.

Amazon announced loads of products at its big event this week, but the showstopper was undoubtedly the Astro robot: a small Alexa-powered bot with its own display, that marks the company's first foray into a whole new industry. The company also revealed a wall-mounted Echo Show 15, its first smart thermostat, a new 'Hey, Disney!' voice assistant, and more.

Meanwhile Xiaomi launched the Civi, the first in a new fashion-focused phone line. The Civi is set to remain a China exclusive, but it's interesting nonetheless, marking a new direction for the company as it continues to shuffles its sub-brands.

Finally, thanks to OnLeaks we have our first plausible look at the Galaxy S22 series. His renders reveal a familiar look for the S22 and S22+ but a more radical redesign for the S22 Ultra, amid rumours that this phone may even change names and adopt the Note branding instead. What on Earth is Samsung planning?

This podcast is produced by IDG Communications.

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This week it's all about Microsoft, with the company unveiling a slew of shiny new Surface products in the lead-up to the release of Windows 11. HMD Global also made a play in the affordable 5G phone space – with the Nokia G50 and iOS 15 is finally making its way to users' iPhones, but is it any good?

Wednesday saw Microsoft's Panos Panay excitedly zip around an army of new Surface hardware; from the somersaulting Surface Laptop Studio to the powerful new Surface Pro 8, while we were also introduced to timely refreshes of the company's Surface Go and Surface Pro X 2-in-1s.

The oddball Surface Duo also got a sequel in the Surface Duo 2, which offers up better cameras, beefier performance (and 5G) – led by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset – and a new, curvier design that means you can few aspects like notifications and battery level while the Duo 2 is closed.

In light of the iPhone 13's launch, Apple also rolled out the official release of iOS 15 to the masses, complete with FaceTime support on Android and Windows, Notification Summary and (among numerous other features) new portrait mode options – even in third-party apps.

Lastly, HMD Global continues doing what it does best - releasing low-cost Nokia-branded Android phones that promise a clean design, lightly tweaked user experience, and long-term OS and security updates. The main difference with the new Nokia G50 is that it's the first of the company's 5G-capable phones to come in at a budget asking price, making it one of the only offerings not from a Chinese phone maker; whether it'll find success, however, is another matter.

This podcast is produced by IDG Communications.

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The iPhone 13 is finally here! And it looks...OK? Yeah, we're as underwhelmed as the rest of you - but we have plenty of other Apple products to cover too, plus Xiaomi's 11T and Pad 5 launch, *and* the Facebook/Ray-Ban smart glasses. It's gonna be a big one.

Apple launched four new iPhones, two iPads, and an Apple Watch at its event on Tuesday. There were a few iterative updates, but the new iPad Mini is genuinely pretty exciting - and it's Apple, so there's something to talk about in just about everything they've launched.

Xiaomi boldly followed suit with a launch the following day, but it has good reason to be confident: not only does its 11T phone series impress with solid specs and 120W charging, but the Xiaomi Pad 5 looks like that rare thing: a budget Android tablet you might actually want to buy.

Finally, Lewis has been trying out the Ray-Ban Stories, the eyewear brand's new smart glasses - built in collaboration with Facebook. He's a fan, but is the novel tech enough to overcome a potential privacy nightmare?

This podcast is produced by IDG Communications.

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We haven't even seen the iPhone 13 yet but the next iteration has already leaked - while Vivo has unveiled its latest flagship series and we review the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

Apple has confirmed the iPhone 13 launch event for next week, but just to get on their nerves leaker Jon Prosser has unveiled renders and some surprising specs and design details for next year's iPhone 14 series - but should we trust him?

Vivo has also unveiled the X70 series in China, with the global launch promised within days. Once again there are three phones, with the flagship X70 Pro+ packing a Snapdragon 888+ and Vivo's new V1 imaging sensor, along with two firsts for the brand: an IP68 rating and 50W wireless charging.

Finally, after a week or two with the phone Toddy is ready to review the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 - while Lewis is also going to throw in his thoughts on the ZTE Axon 30's new under-display camera as we find out how Samsung's tech holds up.

This podcast is produced by IDG Communications.

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After the Galaxy Watch 4 and Fitbit Charge 5, the next-gen wearable battle is heating up with the Fossil Gen 6 series - while regulators are chipping away at Apple's walled garden.

The new Fossil watches are the first powered by the Snapdragon Wear 4100+, promising big boosts in performance and charging speeds. They're also already confirmed to get the Wear OS 3 upgrade, but there may be a while to wait...

Meanwhile twin rulings from the Japan Fair Trade Commission and the South Korean parliament are slowly opening up Apple's walled garden, with the company now required to allow apps like Netflix to link to their websites from within apps - and to accept third party payment providers in Korea.

Finally, phone scams are on the rise, and getting ever harder to spot. What's prompted the shift, and what can you do to protect yourself? Our editor Jim Martin joins the show to offer a little expert advice.

This podcast is produced by IDG Communications.

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCrL1ZLeIgENlS1nEZzSiueFAiV1Cujvx

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