ICYMI: the 7 biggest tech stories of the week, from Apple's iPhone Duo debut to Sonos' best compact speaker yet

Date:
Sat, 12 Sep 2026 08:00:00 +0000

Description:
We're looking back over the last week to pick out the most important stories published on TechRadar.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter This week, Apple announced its iPhone 18 Pro and something entirely new: the first iPhone foldable in the incredible iPhone Duo.

There was plenty more to catch up on this week, including not one but two Nintendo Directs, and an LG privacy scandal. To catch up on all this and
more, scroll down. But before you read about the news, you might want to try your hand at our quiz on the biggest events of the week. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: 7. LG TVs were in the privacy doghouse again (Image credit: Future) LG isnt exactly a stranger to privacy storms, and it found itself in the middle of another big one this week thanks to a new
report that made some big accusations about its TVs.

An investigation by Gamers Nexus and independent security researchers claimed that LG TVs can capture audio even when the screens are off and also monitor your entire home. These findings didnt exactly sit well with clips of LG executives pitching to advertisers by saying we own the glass in reference to its TVs. You may like ICYMI here's the week's 7 biggest tech news stories for August 7, 2026 Apple Event 2026 recap foldable iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, AirPods 5, and more I touched the iPhone Duo and Apple just solved the foldable crease problem

LG hit back at the claims, telling us in a statement that the claims made in the recently published video are not true. Still, the accusations may leave a bad taste for some, particularly as they come a month after claims (also refuted by LG) that its monitors were installing adware on PCs . Read the
full story: 'It's extremely creepy': LG TVs collect far more data on you than you'd expect, says new report but LG hits back, saying the claims made 'are not true' 6. A new brain wearable arrived to track our stress (Image credit: Atlas) What if you could track your brain and thoughts in the same way that fitness trackers log your heart rate? Thats what a new wave of wearables is promising and another brain pattern monitor arrived this week, before
quickly selling out its first batch. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals,
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The Atlas 1.0 sits behind your ear and tracks things like your attention
span, stress levels and energy burn. In theory, the benefit of understanding these brain patterns is that the Atlas can then connect them to certain triggers for example, revealing that social media is actually stressing you out rather than relaxing you.

We havent tried out this particular brain wearable yet, but our Senior
Fitness & Wearables Editor Matt Evans did electrocute his own vagus nerve for a week with Nurosyms gadget , so wed certainly be up for the challenge when the Atlas 1.0 is back in stock. Read the full story: The Atlas 1.0 Pioneer Edition is a $499 brain scanner that sits behind your ear to measure your stress, attention span and energy and the first batch has just sold out 5. Sonos debuted an Ultra soundbar (Image credit: Sonos) Matt Bolton got to hear the new and upgraded Sonos Beam Ultra soundbar, which sits above the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) in Sonos range, but is more affordable than the Sonos Arc Ultra. It promises a 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos sound system from nine built-in speakers, including two upfiring speakers, thats much bigger, wider and more immersive than Sonos existing small soundbar and based on Matts experience so far, it comfortably delivers. What to read next The week's biggest tech news from Nokia, Sony, and more for July 11, 2026 ICYMI here's the week's 7 biggest
tech news stories for August 15, 2026 15 things we learned from Apple's big iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro launch

Matt said the way the sound is disconnected from the soundbar is seriously impressive for such a compact box, with sound effects coming from way over at the sides of the room, and voices coming through really clearly, and
emanating from the screen, not the box. The bass handling was great as well, despite the lack of a dedicated sub. Is this now the ultimate small soundbar option? Read the full story: I heard the Sonos Beam Ultra, and it delivers
the most impressive Dolby Atmos sound I've experienced from a compact
soundbar 4. Nintendo doubled up Directs (Image credit: Nintendo) Nintendo treated us to not one, but two Direct livestreams this week and both caused quite a stir.

The first was devoted to the Legend of Zelda seriess 40th anniversary and
gave us our first real look at the upcoming Ocarina of Time remake. Unfortunately, its visuals were immediately divisive, with some online commenters comparing the more realistic direction to Nvidia s widely mocked DLSS 5.

On a more positive note, a new Nintendo Switch 2 model inspired by the franchise was also revealed, and it already seems like its going to be a big hit with pre-orders flying off digital shelves.

The second Direct came one day later and focused on more general Switch and Switch 2 software news. Major announcements included the reveal of a new Metroid game, tantalizingly titled Metroid Ravenous , and free updates for Star Fox and Mario Kart World that introduce new content delighting fans.
Read the full story: Everything announced at Nintendo Direct from a new 2D Metroid game to a surprise Mario Kart World update, and massive Kirby reveal 3. Apple announced more than iPhones (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol) Apples iPhones may have taken center stage, but some other gadgets also featured in its showcase: two new Apple Watches and the AirPods 5 .

Apples earbuds were a fairly standard affair. The company promises better noise cancellation, a more comfortable fit, and the premium pair that comes with a wireless charging case also boasts on-AirPods volume controls
because, of course, a standard feature on other wireless earbuds is sold at a markup.

As for the Watches (Series 12 and Ultra 4), any upgrades were overshadowed by some new Siri tools. Conversation rewind will let you read a recap of the
last 15 seconds of conversation, and its being billed as useful accessibility for folks who are hard of hearing. Meanwhile, Siri Recaps will see your Watch listen in on your days conversations to create a recap at the very end of the key details you heard in a quick summary. Apple has promised there are plenty of privacy protections, and that no recordings are stored, but it has some worried the ongoing wearable privacy debate is going in the wrong direction.

Read the full story: Thanks to Siri Recaps, your Apple Watch is always listening as you go about your day 2. Apples iPhone 18 Pro landed (Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future) The iPhone 18 Pro boasts many of the expected changes weve come to expect: an improved (A20 Pro) chipset, enhanced AI capabilities, a longer 36-hour battery life, and a few new color options (Silver returns, but it also comes in Black, Glacier, and Burgundy).

Our favorite new feature, however, is the arrival of variable aperture. Most phones boast a set aperture size, which determines how much light the lens
can receive, and it usually has to compromise between maximizing nighttime quality (which wants a more open aperture) and depth of field (which wants a more closed aperture). Software trickery can help, but Apples mechanical approach means your iPhone 18 Pro can automatically swap to the setting thats best for the current conditions and your photo needs and pros can also manually control the setting if they want.

As expected based on leaks, but perhaps surprising to the non-Apple-obsessed, there was no iPhone 18. Instead, all of Apples older iPhone 17-series devices got a price hike. Read the full story: I just tried the iPhone 18 Pro and Apple gave me two surprisingly good reasons to upgrade 1. We unfolded the iPhone Duo (Image credit: Apple / Future) Lets round things off with a tech story you definitely didnt miss this week: the debut of Apples first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo.

Originally thought to be called the iPhone Ultra, the Duo boasts a similar passport-style shape to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 , but its a distinct foldable product in a few key ways. Two of its corners are rounded, meaning the phones 7.6-inch inner screen unfolds into an almost iPad mini-like shape; Apple opted to use Touch ID rather than Face ID, so theres no visible inner-display camera; it sports a Galaxy-beating IP68 durability rating; and theres a gorgeous open and close animation that passes across the screen when youre switching between folded and unfolded states.

Of course, there are question marks. The Duo only packs two rear cameras; its both thicker and heavier than the Z Fold 8; and, of course, its the most expensive iPhone ever released. But, in recent memory, its hard to think of a more hype-inducing consumer tech product than this. Weve been hands-on with the iPhone Duo , and our full review is coming soon. Read the full story: I just touched the iPhone Duo and Apple just solved the foldable crease problem in the most wonderfully basic way Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/tech/icymi-the-7-biggest-tech-stories-of-the-week-fr om-apples-iphone-duo-debut-to-sonos-best-compact-speaker-yet


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