The tech world has shown no signs of slowing down from its breakneck pace following CES 2024 and the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S24. This week we saw Netflix announce major changes to its subscription tiers and Denon unveiled an impressive piece of home theater gear.
To help you catch up on the past week, we've compiled a list of the seven biggest tech news stories you need to know about.
In the coming weeks, keep an eye out for the Apple Vision Pro launch happening on February 2 (it's sure to be a big one with lines around the block) and the Super Bowl, which usually generates plenty of great TV deals for you to watch. the big game on a beautiful new 4K screen.
7. Where did all those Apple Vision Pros go?
Shortly after, Apple launched orders for the Vision Pro on January 19; some reported that Apple sold out of what was likely a limited supply. Were all of the Space Reality headsets sold to a legitimate buyer? We found a surprising number of Vision Pro pre-orders listed on eBay. And yes, with a significant profit margin.
Unlike typical eBay deals that show an actual product and tell you it's in “good condition,” these Vision Pro listings typically include images from Apple's Vision Pro site or simply a copy of the pre-order form. It's unclear how buyers will get Zeiss lens inserts if they need them or if the light seal is the correct size. What's worse is that the prices for these promises of access to Vision Pro are currently skyrocketing. You might want to wait until Apple does its own restocking.
6. Netflix's basic level says goodbye
Count on Netflix to infuriate us (and its broader user base) again with more bad price-based news. This week, the world's best streaming service announced, via its Q4 2023 earnings report, that it plans to retire its cheapest ad-free tier and teased that more price increases are coming.
Cue furious reactions all around. If, like us, you're unhappy at the prospect of being forced to pay for the ad-supported tier or one of Netflix's more expensive plans, you might consider canceling your Netflix account. Before you do, make sure you get your money's worth by streaming some of the best Netflix movies or best Netflix shows.
5. Galaxy AI will not come to the Galaxy S22
The Samsung Galaxy S24 (along with the Plus and Ultra) was announced last week with some pretty impressive AI features. These cool new camera and translation tools won't be exclusive to the new phones, though; We also learned that the Galaxy S23, Galaxy Z Fold 5, and Galaxy Z Flip 5 will receive Galaxy AI updates in the coming months.
Unfortunately, even though the Samsung Galaxy S22, Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus, and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra are just two years old (and use the same chipset as the S23 FE), these older phones won't get the cool new one. Galaxy AI.
However, they'll still get some new features in the upcoming One UI 6.1 update, so it's not all bad news.
4. The promising Fujifilm X100VI came to light
The Fujifilm X100V has been out of stock for what seems like years, but this week brought good news for fans of the retro compact camera series. The successor to the X100VI is strongly rumored to launch on February 20 and promises to be a major upgrade.
Rumors this week suggest that the X100VI will not only have a new 40MP sensor (the same as the excellent X-T5) but will also have built-in image stabilization. With a fancy film camera also in play, could this be TikTok's new favorite camera? It seems likely.
3. Apple's App Store underwent the biggest renovation in its history
Apple will be looking forward to the end of January: not only was it forced to remove a health feature from the Watch Series 9 in the US, it has now had to make major changes to the App Store in the EU. The main news is that third-party app stores and app downloads will soon be available for iPhone users in the EU. But that's just the beginning.
Those pesky new regulations mean Apple will also have to open up iOS in other ways in the EU, including allowing browsers other than WebKit, alternative payment systems, and game streaming services in the App Store. Apple is clearly not happy about this, but EU residents can expect to see big changes in iOS 17.4 starting in March.
2. Denon announced an 8K AV receiver
Denon has unveiled a new 8K AV receiver that's the most impressive home theater setup we've ever seen. Features seven 8K-ready HDMI inputs (supporting HLG, HDR, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HDR passthrough), two HDMI outputs, and 11.4 audio channels (with Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, IMAX Enhanced, and Auro 3D) . ) so you can connect almost any surround sound system imaginable.
The Denon AVC-X6800H is more than flexible, although the powerful little device will set you back £3,000 in the UK; that's around $3,850 / AU$5,795, although Denon has yet to confirm its pricing and availability outside of Europe.
1. Samsung announced lofty healthcare technology goals
Following the recently announced Galaxy Ring, Samsung has said it hopes to develop non-invasive glucose monitoring and continuous blood pressure monitoring within five years. This would be a huge leap forward for consumer health technology and far beyond what rivals like Apple offer.
Non-invasive glucose monitors already exist, but they must be replaced every one to two weeks, something that is not possible for a smartwatch that costs hundreds.
But Samsung seems confident it can figure something out, we'll just have to wait and see what it has up its sleeve and planned for your fingers and wrists.
