A new national study has revealed that women face a troubling double when it comes to carrying a key component of sexual health: condoms. 

When Australian women were asked about other women carrying condoms, the two most common answers were both about her sexual conduct: that she is planning to have sex (45.4%), and that she sleeps around (38.6%). Yet, the most common answer about men carrying condoms? “Is prepared” – at 43.9%. 

Credit: Moments Sexual Health Study 2026

Key findings from the 2026 Moments Sexual Wellness Study:

• Buying condoms has gotten easier for women, but being judged for carrying them has gotten worse

• Three in four Australian women have hidden, disguised or abandoned a condom purchase

• Two-thirds of Australian women have gone without a condom because neither person had one

More here.

Additionally, the study found that Australian women aged 18-45 are still uncomfortable buying or carrying condoms. And, while more women felt comfortable buying condoms than 10 years ago, feelings of judgement for carrying condoms has actually gotten worse. 

“The stigma [around condoms] didn’t dissolve. It relocated,” said sex educator Eleanor Hadley about the findings. “We’ve spent a decade making the public part of this easier – better shelf placement, self-checkouts, more open conversation – and by our own tracking, buying condoms has genuinely got easier. But nobody was working on the private part. That’s where it has settled, and that’s where women are now paying for it.”

With an overwhelming feeling of judgement running rampant across women even throwing a pack of condoms in their regular groceries, three in four Australian women are usually either hiding them via self-checkout or disguising them within other items. 

The study also found that “Other respondents had waited until a shop was quiet, bought online to avoid buying in person, asked somebody else to buy, or gone somewhere they were less likely to be known.” Some Australian women have simply abandoned their condom purchases altogether. This has prompted condom brands like Moments Wellness to offer services like discreet condom deliveries (and even subscriptions).

With public perception working against them, women are struggling to get to a place where, as Moments puts it, “A condom should be able to sit beside coffee, deodorant or lip balm without recruiting the rest of the basket as cover.” Though we’re yet to break the stigma completely, here’s hoping conversations created by projects like Moments Sexual Health Study can help normalise being assertive with one’s own sexual health, for women, as much as men. 

About the study: Moments Sexual Health Study 2026. 1,111 Australian women aged 18–45, weighted by age, state and region. Carrying behaviour, partner response and responsibility were measured for the first time in 2026 and have no prior comparison. The 2026 wave was fielded by a different provider to the 2017 and 2021 waves. More here.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

Hurdle Word 1 hint

Spiteful.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

CATTY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To dawdle.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

DILLY

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To change.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

AMEND

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A composition.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

ETUDE

Final Hurdle hint

A Christmas plant.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

HOLLY

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier for people who watch the WNBA.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight, and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: IR

• Green: How to get on base

• Blue: Aces

• Purple: Types of dunks

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: NFL Injury Report Designations

• Green: Ways to Reach First Base

• Blue: Las Vegas Aces

• Purple: ____Dunk

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #718 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• NFL Injury Report Designations: DOUBTFUL, OUT, PROBABLE, QUESTIONABLE

• Ways to Reach First Base: ERROR, HIT BY PITCH, SINGLE, WALK

• Las Vegas Aces: GRAY, LOYD, WILSON, YOUNG

• ____Dunk: NIKE, REVERSE, SLAM, WINDMILL

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalog.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

Easy difficulty hints, answers for September 11 Pips

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 3-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 1-2, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically; 1-2, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for September 11 Pips

Equal (1): Everything in this space must be equal to 1. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 1-5, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically; 2-1, placed vertically.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically; 2-4, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 2-1, placed vertically; 3-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 2-4, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for September 11 Pips

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically.

Number (6): Everything in this space must add up to 6. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally; 2-2, placed horizontally; 3-0, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally; 1-0, placed vertically.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically; 6-0, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically; 4-0, placed vertically.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 3-0, placed vertically; 1-0, placed vertically; 0-0, placed horizontally; 6-0, placed vertically; 4-0, placed vertically; 0-2, placed vertically; 0-5, placed vertically.

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 5-1, placed vertically; 3-4, placed vertically.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.

While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

Absorb meaning

To take in or soak up a substance or information.

Digest meaning

To break down food or process information.

Process meaning

A series of steps taken to get a specific result.

Take in meaning

To understand or absorb information.

Band meaning

A group of musicians.

Florist meaning

A person or business that sells or arranges flowers.

Photographer meaning

A person who takes professional photos.

Planner meaning

A person who creates strategies or organizes details.

Exercise meaning

A planned physical activity to improve mental and physical health.

Journal meaning

A written record of daily events or thoughts.

Meditate meaning

To focus the mind on silence or concentration.

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Unplug meaning

To disconnect an electronic device from a power source.

Agenda meaning

A plan of action for a meeting or event.

Envelope meaning

A flat paper container used to contain mail or a letter.

Limits meaning

A boundary that's the highest amount allowed.

Luck meaning

Success or failure that happens by chance.

Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you love your me time.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Wedding helpers

• Green: To soak up

• Blue: Relax and unwind

• Purple: Shove it

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Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: People hired for an event

• Green: Internalize

• Blue: Ways to practice self-care

• Purple: Things that are pushed metaphorically

Play our Big Guessing Game: Make your predictions now for a chance to win a new Apple Watch. Time's running out!

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #1186 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• People hired for an event: BAND, FLORIST, PHOTOGRAPHER, PLANNER

• Internalize: ABSORB, DIGEST, PROCESS, TAKE IN

• Ways to practice self-care: EXERCISE, JOURNAL, MEDITATE, UNPLUG

• Things that are pushed metaphorically: AGENDA, ENVELOPE, LIMITS, LUCK

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints describe waterways.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Harbor view

The words are related to natural.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe being near the coast.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is On the Waterfront.

NYT Strands word list for September 11

• Bridge

• Ship

• Barge

• On the Waterfront

• Dock

• Pier

• Lighthouse

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a history buff.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Star.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

ASTER

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

California governor Gavin Newsom's signature is now on a slew of new tech laws, including a dozen new state bills that target social media and AI giants.

In addition to strengthening existing child safety laws, the state's latest efforts to regulate products from players like Meta and OpenAI include provisions that could effectively ban social media for children under 16.

The policy move would place California on par with national governments like Australia, which was the first to bar young users from accessing social media. In practice, the law has proven to be difficult to enforce.

The highly anticipated child online safety legislation comes as the industry faces mounting pressure to curb Big Tech's influence on young minds, including social media algorithms, AI chatbots, and educational technologies found in the classrooms.

"Our children’s safety deserves to be at the center of every conversation about technology. As innovation moves faster our protections must keep pace," Newsom said in a press release.

California cracks down on "addictive" social media

The headlining bills, AB 1709 and AB 2, place stronger restrictions on the ways teens can interact with social media. Under AB 1709, social media platforms cannot permit children under the age of 16 from accessing social media with harmful features. The bill specifically singles out "addictive" elements like personalized feeds and video autoplay.

Platforms must confirm users' ages before offering such features, a move that could galvanize calls for stronger age-assurance tools.

With AB 2 on the books, platforms can also be held financially liable for child harm, ranging from $5,000 to $1 million per child.

Child safety nonprofit and bill sponsors Common Sense Media applauded Newsom's decision in a statement to the press. "Today is a huge victory for kids and parents across California," the organization wrote. "The momentum in this fight has shifted, and it shifted here, in the tech companies' home state."

Parents of children who died by suicide following extensive social media and chatbot use have rallied behind the legislation, including Julianna Arnold, executive director of Parents RISE. "We are grateful to Assemblymember Lowenthal not only for listening, but for taking our lived experience seriously and letting it shape the legislation," said Arnold in a statement to the press.

Platforms may lean more heavily on age-gated teen accounts in light of the new regulation. Studies have shown, however, that teens often find ways to defy age restrictions.

"For years, the tech industry has told parents that the answer is to monitor more closely, set more parental controls, and somehow keep up with products that are constantly changing," said Shelby Knox, Director of Online Safety Campaigns at ParentsTogether Action. "But parents cannot parental-control their way out of platform designs engineered to keep kids engaged."

Newsom takes aim at AI companies, backed by AI companies?

AI developers have lobbied California leadership over the last several years in an effort to tamp down its proposed regulation efforts. They have had some success, including Newsom's veto of a similar child online safety bill last year.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman appealed directly to Newsom about the new legislation package last week, according to insiders, after industry leaders pushed for an increasingly narrower scope.

But in recent months, more companies have signaled they're less adamantly opposed to child safety laws than they once were, especially as most now face increasingly arduous court battles and steep financial penalties. A Meta official recently alluded to passing the Kids Online Safety Act to avert ongoing litigation. And OpenAI later came out in favor of California's proposed AI legislation.

Amid this debate, Newsom signed into law SB 1179, also known as Adam's Law, which attempts to enforce stronger safety requirements for AI companies. The legislation was named for Adam Raine, a young teen who died by suicide after consulting with ChatGPT. Raine's parents filed the first wrongful death lawsuit against an AI company for alleged harmful chatbot behavior.

Adam's Law requires developers of companion chatbots to conduct and publish annual child safety risk assessments and to submit their products to independent audits. Developers must create crisis response processes for chatbots, as well. Many companies already have safety measures in place, but guardrails have consistently failed to fully prevent chatbot behavior harmful to teens.

"We still have not adjusted to life without Adam, but we are pleased that an element of his legacy is to help make AI chatbots safer for minors," said Raine's parents, Matt and Maria Raine, in a press statement. "We believe the risks of unregulated AI companionship rank right up there with other more discussed AI risks, and we are confident Adam’s Law will save lives and prevent other harms."

Another bill expands the state's definition of "child sexual exploitation" to include "any digitally altered or AI-generated matter that depicts a person under 18 engaged in an act of sexual conduct."

Children's toys with built-in companion chatbots, which have prompted concern from safety advocates, are now prohibited in California under SB 867.

New privacy regulations will add greater restrictions on the use of student data in AI systems deployed in K-12 schools. Some cities are moving to ban AI in K-12 classrooms outright.

Privacy groups are still concerned about downstream effects

While child safety organizations celebrate a victory in a years-long effort to enact bills like AB 1709, civil society groups remain concerned about their implication on free speech.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation called AB 1709 a "well-intentioned, but deeply flawed piece of legislation," and a "massive privacy and free speech nightmare." Last month, the organization urged Newsom to veto the measure until concerns about censorship were properly addressed.

Instead of focusing on bans, the organization wrote in a Sept. 10 press release, "we should redouble our efforts to get technology laws right — and support the passage of new robust privacy laws that target surveillance business models. That’s how we protect everyone in the AI age."

California's new laws are set to go into effect next year.

Apple has a new flagship smartwatch. The tech giant announced the Apple Watch Series 12 during its Sept. 9 "Surprise and Shine" iPhone event, along with the new Apple Watch Ultra 4, AirPods 5, iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, and the first-ever foldable iPhone Duo.

In a press release, Apple’s Vice President of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing Kaiann Drance called the Series 12 "the most advanced health and fitness companion we’ve ever created." You might not know that at a glance because it looks the same as last year's Series 11. To find out what's actually new about the Series 12, you have to peek inside its case.

Here's a full breakdown of the main differences between the Apple Watch Series 12 and Series 11, including one notable upgrade that Apple didn't mention in its keynote presentation. (Spoiler: it has something to do with memory.)

Apple Watch Series 12 vs. Series 11: Pricing

The Series 12 has the same $399 base price as the Series 11 (pictured here). Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

Now available for preorder, the Series 12 starts at $399 with a 42mm aluminum case — the same price as the base Series 11. However, the 46mm Series 12 starts at $449, which is a $20 bump from the previous generation. There's now a $50 difference separating the two sizes, no matter the case material.

The 42mm and 46mm titanium variants of the Series 12 start at $699 and $749, respectively, just like their Series 11 counterparts.

The Series 12 comes in a third "new" ceramic variant that starts at $899 for the 42mm size and $949 for the 46mm model. (The Series 11 wasn't available with a ceramic case, but the much older Series 2, 3, and 5 all came in that scratch-resistant material.)

Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm

$399 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Best Buy Pre-order Here at Walmart

Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 46mm)

$449 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Best Buy Pre-order Here at Walmart

Apple Watch Series 12 vs. Series 11: Design

The Series 12 has the same external design as the Series 11 — and the Series 10, for that matter. Apple hasn't changed the look of its flagship wearable since that 2024 release, when it got a thinner, lighter case and a more rounded display. (The rumor mill says a proper redesign is coming next year.) Additionally, it's still IP6X dust-resistant and water-resistant for up to 50 meters.

That said, the aluminum Series 12 variants got one small tweak. Their Ceramic Shield 2 glass is more durable than the Ion-X glass on their Series 11 counterparts. Apple said it's "60 percent tougher," to be exact.

Apple Watch Series 12 vs. Series 11: Display

This is a picture of the Apple Watch Series 11, but it's also kind of a picture of the Series 12. They're virtually identical. Credit: Apple

Both Apple Watches have the same always-on, wide-angle OLED display with up to 2,000 nits of brightness. That's very, very bright.

Apple Watch Series 12 vs. Series 11: Colors

The Apple Watch Series 12 comes in eight different case material/color combinations. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

The Series 12's case comes in the following case colors:

• Aluminum: Dark bronze, light gold, black, space gray

• Titanium: Radiant gold and natural

• Ceramic: Pearl white and night blue

The Series 11's case came in fewer colorways:

• Aluminum: Rose gold, silver, space gray, and jet black

• Titanium: Natural, gold, and slate

Apple introduced a bunch of new band colors and materials for the Series 12 that would also fit the Series 11, if you want to freshen up one you already own. You can buy them separately starting at $49.

Apple Watch Series 12 vs. Series 11: Specs

The Series 12's S11 chip has more muscle than the Series 11's S10 chip. Credit: Apple

The Series 11 ran on the S10 chip, while the Series 12 is powered by the newer S11 chip — "Apple’s most powerful wearable chip," the company said. It enables several new features that I'll elaborate on shortly.

Notably, MacRumors reports that the Series 12 has twice as much memory as the Series 11 (4GB versus 2GB). Apple didn't mention that during its iPhone event this week, but the company's Xcode 27 developer tool reportedly shows evidence of it, the tech site said. If true, the Series 12's mostly unchanged prices are quite the feat: RAM costs have skyrocketed in the past year. (That's the reason why Apple raised its MacBook and iPad prices this summer, and probably its logic behind recent iPhone price hikes, too.)

The Series 12 maintains the same storage capacity as the Series 11: 64GB.

Apple Watch Series 12 vs. Series 11: Cellular connectivity

Like the Series 11, the Series 12 is available with 5G cellular connectivity. It's still a $100 upgrade on the aluminum variants and a standard feature on the titanium (and now ceramic) versions.

Apple Watch Series 12 vs. Series 11: Battery life

The Series 12 and 11 are both rated for up to 24 hours of battery life per charge, which you can extend to 38 hours by putting them in Low Power Mode. However, the Series 12's charging speed got a boost. A quick 15-minute power-up provides up to 12 hours of normal usage, up from eight hours in the Series 11.

Apple Watch Series 12 vs. Series 11: Sensors

The Series 12's Health Sensing System is only available on one other Apple Watch, that being the new Ultra 4. Credit: Apple

Here's where things start to get more interesting. The Series 12 has a new Health Sensing System with upgraded optical and electrical sensors that measure the user's heart rate continuously and more accurately. You can see the glowing green lights of the optical sensor on the underside of its case.

Apple said this system measures heart rate every five seconds all day long. It also captures heart rate variability (HRV) data, a stress and recovery metric, up to 24 times more often.

Apple Watch Series 12 vs. Series 11: Features

Should you skip leg day or power through? Your Series 12 can tell you. Credit: Apple

The Series 12 and 11 both run on watchOS and share the same core health, wellness, and safety features, including Sleep Score, Hypertension and Sleep Apnea Notifications, Cycle Tracking, Fall and Crash Detection, Emergency SOS, and the AI-powered Workout Buddy. They'll also both support Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, which arrives with the release of watchOS 27 on Sept. 14.

However, the Series 12 brings a few exclusive new features to the table courtesy of its upgraded chip and sensors:

• Readiness, a feature that tells the user how prepared they are (or not) for future fitness activities based on their recent workouts, vitals, and sleep patterns

• Audio Intelligence tools that use its built-in microphone, including Sound Recognition alerts, Live Rewind conversation transcriptions, and Siri Recap conversation summaries

• More accurate step tracking powered by a revamped pedometer model, including a Steps complication (finally!)

Do these small hardware tweaks and new features make the Series 12 worth the upgrade? Stay tuned for Mashable's full review to find out — we just got our hands on a review unit for testing. In the meantime, you can revisit our take on the Series 11.

Top iPhone 18 pre-order deals

• AT&T: Get the iPhone 18 Pro for free with qualifying trade-ins of iPhone 14 or later

• T-Mobile: Get the iPhone 18 Pro for free when you switch or trade-in an eligible phone on an Experience Beyond plan

• Total Wireless: Save $600 on iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max on the All Access plan

• Verizon: Get up to $1,200 off when you add a new line (with qualified trade-in) on eligible myPlan

• Visible: Buy the iPhone with Visible+ Pro and receive $480 through monthly credits

Apple just wrapped its biggest iPhone launch event in years. Today, on Sept. 9, the tech giant hosted its "Surprise and Shine" event, and Mashable will be reporting live from Apple Park all week. At the event, Apple finally unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first-ever foldable iPhone. The event also set the stage for the grand debut of Siri AI. Plus, new CEO John Ternus stepped into the spotlight for the first keynote of the post-Tim Cook era. It's an event that's been years in the making.

Thanks to months of leaks and rumors, we had a fairly good idea of what to expect from the Apple Event, where we learned about the new iPhone 18 Pro lineup, iOS 27, Siri AI, the AirPods 5, the Apple Watch Series 12, and more.

You can re-watch the keynote via the CNET Apple Event livestream. We'll also be sharing real-time updates on all of the day's news, behind-the-scenes videos, and product announcements in this live blog.

Want more tech news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today, and see what our readers guessed would happen at today's Apple event in our Big Guessing Game.

Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event on Wednesday brought the announcement of a new iPhone lineup as expected, plus the first-ever foldable iPhone, but true to the name of the event, Apple had another release ready to go: the AirPods 5.

Apple AirPods 5

$129 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Apple.com Pre-order Here at Walmart

Apple AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging

$149 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Walmart Pre-order Here at Target

The new earbuds will officially be available on Friday, Sept. 18, but preorders are live as of Sept. 9 at Amazon, Best Buy, Apple, and beyond. The earbuds are available in two models: the AirPods 5 and AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case. Both feature active noise cancellation (a deviation from the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC), and lower price points than the AirPods 4 at $129 and $149, respectively.

What's new with the AirPods 5

The AirPods 5 come with several upgrades, including:

• 50 percent more active noise cancellation power than the AirPods 4 with ANC

• Lower price points, with the AirPods 5 starting at $129 (the same price as the non-ANC AirPods 4) and the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case starting at $149 ($30 less than the AirPods 4 with ANC)

• New multiport acoustic architecture for improved sound quality

• Battery life of up to five hours with ANC and an on-ear volume stem control on the more expensive AirPods 5

What's the difference between the two AirPods 5 models?

Pricing:

• AirPods 5 — $129

• AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case — $149

Both pairs of earbuds come with a new acoustic architecture, better noise cancellation than the AirPods 4, and an improved transparency mode. The AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case also offer one more hour of battery life with ANC over the previous generation (for a total of five hours), on-ear volume controls, and, of course, wireless charging with the case.

Though not new features over the previous generation, both of these earbuds also come with live translation features and Conversation Awareness (which automatically adjusts the volume of your audio for easy awareness).

In comparison, the AirPods 4 retail for $129 and $179 for models with and without noise cancellation, meaning the AirPods 5 have notably reduced pricing — a trend that isn't common in the broader tech world, or even within Apple's event.

AirPods 5 vs. AirPods Pro 3

The AirPods Pro 3 remain Apple's most premium pair of earbuds, priced at $249. The in-ear design, compared to Apple's open-ear design, also means that the Pro 3 will have more effective ANC and more robust sound quality. That said, the new multiport acoustic architecture on the AirPods 5 was inspired by the design of the AirPods Pro 3.

While both earbuds offer Live Translation, the Pro 3 also have a built-in heart rate monitor which can connect to Apple's Fitness app.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park.

TL;DR: Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus is available as a one-time $49.97 lifetime license for one Windows PC (reg. $249.99) — no monthly or annual payments involved.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for Windows: Lifetime License

$49.97
$249.99 Save $200.02

 

Get Deal

Not every piece of software needs a subscription. If you use the same Windows PC day in and day out and just want Word, Excel, and the rest of the suite installed and working, a one-time purchase covers that without asking you to keep paying for Office 365. Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus is $$49.97 (reg. $249.99) and gets you Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Access on one machine, for good.

The apps themselves cover the basics people actually rely on: spreadsheets, written reports, presentations, and email, built for long-term stability rather than the newest features first. It includes Dark Mode and runs well across a range of Windows hardware, old and new.

What you should know before you buy

Microsoft 365 Personal subscription currently costs $99.99 per year, so a lifetime license pays for itself in about 7 months and keeps paying off each year after that, with no renewal. Ideal for students working on the same laptop through a degree, freelancers dealing with Word or Excel-heavy work, or anyone who’s tired of subscription creep on their monthly statement.

It’s worth noting what you’re not getting: cloud-based extras like 1TB of OneDrive storage, and the license is tied to a single Windows PC rather than floating across devices tied to a Microsoft account. For anyone who mainly works from one desktop or laptop and just wants the core apps installed and stable, that’s a fairly small tradeoff for skipping the subscription altogether.

Get Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus as a one-time $49.97 purchase (reg. $249.99).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Apple and Samsung's premium flagship competition for 2026 can finally kick off in earnest.

At its "Surprise and Shine" event, Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro Max, several months after Samsung launched the Galaxy S26 Ultra. These are the two most expensive and feature-packed non-foldable phones that these companies make right now, so we figured we would put together a handy comparison for your sake.

We just started testing the iPhone 18 Pro Max, so there are some necessary limitations to our analysis, but here is our best estimation for how these two flagship smartphones stack up to each other.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Price

This one's easy: Both the iPhone 18 Pro Max and Galaxy S26 Ultra have the same starting price of $1,299. Technically, the S26 Ultra costs $1,299.99, but we aren't going to hold 99 cents against Samsung.

In either case, that's a lot of money. But at least there's no clear advantage in this regard between the two devices. You're going to spend a minor fortune to get either of these phones, unless you take advantage of carrier deals from T-Mobile or Verizon.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Design and specs

Samsung's phone is lighter and thinner. Credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra's specs are as follows:

• Display: 6.9-inch display with 3120x1440 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate

• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

• RAM: 12GB

• Storage: 256/512GB/1TB

• Battery: 5,000mAh

• Rear cameras: 200MP wide, 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP telephoto, 10MP periscope telephoto

• Front camera: 12MP

And the iPhone 18 Pro Max's go a little something like this:

• Display: 6.9-inch resolution with 2868x1320 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate

• Processor: A20 Pro

• RAM: 12GB

• Storage: 256/512GB/1TB/2TB

• Battery: 5,391 mAh

• Rear cameras: 48MP wide, 48MP ultra-wide, 48MP telephoto

• Front camera: 18MP

There are some differences to note here, of course. Samsung's phone has a higher-resolution display, but photography isn't all about the megapixels. Apple's A20 Pro processor and the new variable aperture should result in incredible photographs if you know what you're doing, and recently, Apple has also had an edge on video quality.

We'll get to battery and camera differences in a little bit, but as you can see by the numbers, there are some gaps to discuss there, as well. Apple also has a 2TB storage option that Samsung doesn't offer.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra's processor delivered virtually flawless performance in our testing earlier this year, whether handling everyday tasks or more advanced AI processing. We haven't gotten significant time with the Pro Max yet, but Apple's history in this regard is very solid. I expect the A20 Pro chip to be just as good or better than the Ultra's Snapdragon processor.

The camera bar hasn't changed at all. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

Let's talk design for a second, too. Samsung's phone is substantially lighter, as the S26 Ultra comes in at 214g versus the iPhone 18 Pro Max's weight of 249g. The iPhone is also almost a full millimeter thicker, at 8.75mm against Samsung's 7.9mm of depth. Their other physical dimensions are close enough to be negligible, but there's a real likelihood that the S26 Ultra is a more comfortable phone to hold in the hand for most people.

People also care a lot about colors. Samsung offers six colors for the S26 Ultra: Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, Black, White, Silver Shadow, and Pink Gold. In the other corner, Apple's choices are more limited: Black, Silver, Glacier, and Burgundy. You may very well find one iPhone color you like way more than anything else in the Samsung lineup, as this is a matter of personal taste, but Samsung is objectively offering more choices here.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra has two things the iPhone 18 Pro doesn't

Privacy Display blacks out a notification on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The Galaxy S26 Ultra has one hardware trick you can't find on any other device: Privacy Display. This feature blacks out the screen for anyone trying to peek at it, letting you browse Instagram, or whatever else you find on the internet, in public. It can even black out portions of the screen, such as specific apps or notifications. This feature isn't perfect, but it works pretty well, and you won't find it on any other premium flagship right now.

Finally, don't forget that the S26 Ultra also comes with a built-in stylus. And yet it still weighs less than the iPhone.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: AI features

Privacy Display is neat. Credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable

Everyone is going all-in on AI for their software suites these days, so let's discuss that.

On Apple's side, the big Siri AI update for iOS still isn't out at the time of publication. It'll launch alongside the new iPhones, so we'll have more to say on that soon. It will turn Siri into a bona fide chatbot and AI app powered by Google Gemini, with complete access to your calendar, contacts, and emails. It can use all of that personal context to perform time-saving, context-sensitive actions for you, at least in theory.

There's also an enhanced Image Playground update to generate more realistic images, along with additional image-editing features, such as the ability to reframe photos. Conveniently, you'll also be able to use text prompts to generate Shortcuts. That could be nice, assuming it works.

But, let's be clear: Apple is definitely playing catch-up in the AI race, and Samsung has a multi-year head-start. Galaxy phones like the S26 Ultra have had sophisticated AI photo editing tools for awhile. Samsung's phone also comes with Gemini, Circle to Search is omnipresent, and the Now Nudge feature.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Battery life

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra had an even 5,000mAh battery cell inside of it, which gave it 31 hours of video playback time in our testing. That's pretty damn good! A battery like that will last you an entire day and then some if you're not using it for any funny business.

We haven't properly tested the iPhone 18 Pro Max battery yet, but it has a bigger cell and Apple rates it for an astounding "up to 45 hours" of video playback. We'll believe it when we see it, but if it's even close to true, the iPhone 18 Pro Max might have one of the best smartphone batteries in existence.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Cameras

This is how you test a camera. Credit: Timothy Werth/Mashable

The Galaxy S26 Ultra has a gigantic 200MP main shooter that, in our testing, produced detailed and vivid photographs. Its zoom capabilities are also impressive, as it doesn't compromise quality very much until you get way up in the 100x zoom range. Nighttime photography is also solid here, if a little too bright and unrealistic-looking at times.

Apple's alternative isn't as impressive in terms of raw megapixel numbers, with a trio of 48MP lenses powering its rear camera array. But iPhone Pro cameras are always some of the best in the business, and Apple has added variable aperture this year for even more versatility in difficult photography conditions. We're looking forward to testing all of that out. At any rate, it would be absolutely shocking if the iPhone 18 Pro Max cameras weren't at least very good. On top of that, we expect the iPhone 18 Pro Max to be a killer for videography as well.

The everlasting question: iOS or Android?

So, which phone should you buy? We'll reserve judgment until we've finished testing the new iPhone 18 Pro Max. However, the new iPhone doesn't seem to be a huge upgrade compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

So, barring a huge surprise, we expect the phones to compare very favorably. The right phone for you will come down, as it usually does, whether you prefer Android or iOS.

Top smartphone deals of the week

Apple's event is always a great time to take advantage of discounts on previous-generation iPhones and Android devices.

• Get the iPhone 17 for $0 down at T-Mobile

• Samsung Galaxy S26 FE + $200 Amazon Gift Card — $799.99 $999.99 (save $200)

• Google Pixel 11 Pro — $1,019.70 $1,099 (save $79.30)

• Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra — $1,049.99 $1,299.99 (save $250)

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 — $1,649.99 $1,899.99 (save $250)

What do your favorite actors and creators have in common? They both have IMDB credits, despite the latter group likely having no film or TV credits.

On Sept. 9, the Amazon-owned entertainment database introduced "Digital Creator" as a professional category on IMDb and IMDbPro, covering streamers, vloggers, video essayists, gaming creators, and influencers. According to a Variety report, no existing film or television credits are required to establish a digital creator profile.

For creators whose résumés live mostly on YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram, this means they can now showcase their work in the same database used by actors, producers, and casting directors — without having a traditional entertainment role get them there. Creators have appeared on IMDb for years through eligible projects. MrBeast, for example, has credits that include Prime Video’s Beast Games. The difference now is that creators can establish a profile based on their online careers alone.

IMDb’s updated guidance says Premium members can select up to three professions for their pages. Someone who creates online videos, acts, and produces can represent those roles together.

So, what does that actually do for a creator?

IMDb’s pitch is about making professional connections. "IMDbPro empowers entertainment professionals with tools that help them get discovered, build their reputation, and advance their careers," CEO Nikki Santoro said in a statement.

"Digital creators and their representatives need that same infrastructure, and producers, casting directors, studio executives and brand partners need a reliable way to find them," she said.

For creators, that could mean making it easier for a potential collaborator to understand what they do more quickly. "We’re excited to add a category that bridges that gap and gives creators a discoverable industry profile," Santoro added.

Whether that visibility translates into jobs remains to be seen, but the move fits a much longer conversation about where creators belong in entertainment in the first place.

Creators making the jump to Hollywood is hardly new. Issa Rae built an audience with her YouTube series Awkward Black Girl before co-creating HBO’s Insecure. Quinta Brunson went from viral internet sketches to creating and starring in Abbott Elementary, while Bo Burnham started posting musical comedy on YouTube before writing and directing Eighth Grade.

"In just over a decade, content creators have gone from digital outliers to industry power brokers," Mashable’s Crystal Bell wrote in a May 2025 roundup of creators who moved into film and television. Their influence extends beyond landing roles: Creators are also writing, directing and developing their own productions.

That crossover has drawn skepticism, of course. Writing in The Ithacan, columnist Sydney Brumfield argued that influencers’ built-in audiences can give them an advantage over experienced performers. "However fiscally reasonable casting influencers is, it results in fewer, well-deserving actors from being discovered," she wrote.

The catch? You’ll have to pay. Selecting the category requires IMDbPro Premium. Standard individual membership costs $19.99 per month or $149.99 annually in the U.S., before applicable taxes. Opening the category to creators gives IMDb a whole new group of paying subscribers. (Very smart.)

Should you pay for an IMDbPro profile?

Not every creator needs it. Someone actively pursuing representation or production partnerships may have a clearer reason to use the profile. For a creator focused on sponsorships and direct relationships with brands, the value will really depend on whether those partners actually turn to IMDb to find talent.

Under "Digital Creator," users can choose from six sub-professions:

• Streamer

• Vlogger

• Video Essayist

• Video Creator

• Gaming Creator

• Influencer

As creators take on a bigger role in entertainment, it's clear the industry is listening, and trying to find new ways to bring them into the fold. IMDb’s new category is another step in that direction, recognizing careers built online and giving potential collaborators another way to find them. What comes next will determine its value.

If humanity was to end at the hands of AI, as viral posts from former Anthropic employees allege, what would it look like?

Would the robots hack our nuclear arsenals and send them flying through the sky? Would the sophisticated algorithms design a whole new virus to unleash on the populace? Would it be as simple as slowly degrading our trust in our fellow man, until chaos reigns?

We don't really know, but a new safety report from Anthropic, which details several ways AI can already go haywire, is alarming enough.

Individuals tried to use Anthropic AI to develop bioweapons

Anthropic's report — part of the company's ongoing transparency and monitoring efforts — is a sweeping survey of the last eight months of attempts by threat actors to use its generative AI chatbot Claude for "malicious" activities. Covering what the company calls "atypical" use cases, many of the examples implicate state-sponsored groups, spyware vendors, and government propagandists.

Anthropic categorized such activity into seven "harm areas": cyber operations, influence operations, surveillance, scams and fraud, biological misuse, conventional weapons development, and distillation. Anthropic did not include details on how long the activity had been occurring in most cases.

In the report, the company's Threat Intelligence team described five known case studies involving the potential use of Claude for biological weapons development.

The company alleges that researchers, including state-supported users, prompted Claude to write separate grant applications to experiment with the mosquito-born chikungunya virus and orthopoxvirus. The latter is a family of viruses that cause human illness, including smallpox.  

Anthropic said the users "circumvented controls" designed to prevent individuals in countries without access to Claude from using the product. The users also attempted to hide the purpose of their research, apparently in order to evade safeguards. 

Anthropic described the individuals in each case study as working scientists, but the company did not name them. 

"We do not assert that they intended harm, and identifying them or their labs could expose them to harm," the company wrote in its report. Anthropic said it banned the users' accounts upon discovering their activity and incorporated its findings into its ongoing safety work. 

Claude built software for armed drones, missiles, guns

Anthropic's bot has been harnessed to build and refine software used for weapons development, the report explained, including tech that enabled the design, construction, and testing of real-world munitions.

"Historically, this kind of work has been uncovered by governments, United Nations panels, and outside investigators, who piece it together from recovered hardware and public sources," the company explained.

One account, which Anthropic attributes to a Russia-based freelance agent working an operation titled "operation “DronDoc” or “Serafim," used Claude Code to engineer a "full-stack autonomous first-person-view (FPV) kamikaze drone swarm."

The company also claims a China-based account, potentially a military-industrial researcher, used Claude work tools to create electronic warfare modules intended to circumvent enemy radar and communications and suppress air defenses. The user's simulation included 12 targets located in Taiwan.

Claude used to monitor foreign dissidents and build mass surveillance systems

Anthropic described nine instances of Claude being used to "build, run, and otherwise facilitate" state-sponsored surveillance efforts in foreign countries (including China, Iran, and nations in west Africa) as well as for-hire surveillance networks.

In one case, Claude was used by an operation with suspected ties to the People's Republic of China to track, profile, and recruit politically-connected Uyghur populations — and journalists — with ties to the Syrian Army. Claude used bulk data from monitored WhatsApp and Telegram chats to profile individuals.

In another, at least 16 accounts associated with Iranian paramilitary and domestic security agencies were linked to surveillance and malicious browser extensions built by Claude, which were then used to harvest data from 6,388 Iranians. An "Iran-nexus threat actor" also used Claude to pinpoint U.S. naval targets.

Across the gamut of cases, generative AI was used to replace human surveillance operations, expedite the creation of target profiles using personal data, and facilitate the daily work of government monitors. The company noted that users are barred from using its AI systems for "non-consensual surveillance" and profiling under its current Usage Policy.

Claude helped automate cyber spying ops

Anthropic claims in the report that AI has allowed "threat actors" to automate their cyber operations. In the case studies shared by Anthropic, these individuals relied on multi-agent "frameworks" for reconnaissance and exploitation in an attempt to steal sensitive information. 

One actor, identified as GTG-20006 in the report, has become faster by using AI. Anthropic claims this individual attacked military intelligence targets in the Ukrainian and European governments, in addition to organizations and individuals connected to U.S. foreign policy. 

GTG-20006, whom Anthropic characterizes as a Russian espionage agent, used AI to conduct phishing, ClickFix, and domain name system (DNS) hijacking schemes. 

Anthropic also claims the user targeted military drone makers and manufacturers and infiltrated at least three hospitality vendors in order to target the devices of hotel guests who were Ukrainian government officials and drone manufacturers.

Anthropic's additional examples of AI-enabled cyber operations offered a look at campaigns conducted by both smaller criminal groups and state-sponsored organizations. 

"The diffusion of AI has leveled the playing field giving both classes of actors access to the same set of advanced capabilities," Anthropic said. 

Claude assisted disinformation campaigns ahead of national elections

Bad actors are trying to use AI agents like Claude to turbocharge mass disinformation campaigns, many timed to national elections, Anthropic's report explains. 

In the last year, the company pinpointed and disrupted at least nine disinformation efforts involving increasingly anonymized actors in Russia, China, Iran, Bangladesh, and Kenya. At least one operation, selling its disinformation services at large, spanned at least six continents. 

According to the report, actors used Claude to design influence operations as well as produce the erroneous content itself. For example, Claude was used to clone real accounts by activists, conceal state propaganda in "independent" news sources, and launch what one group called an international "cognitive warfare" program. In one case, an actor impersonated a Sudanese human rights organization and ghost-wrote testimony proposed for the UN Human Rights Council.

Anthropic tracks disinformation efforts by monitoring Claude prompts and then verifies them with open source data, the company explained. "Most of the content we discovered drew little or no authentic engagement, and in several cases we disrupted the operation before it could build an audience," the company wrote. "The widest authentic reach occurred where state media outlets were the distribution mechanism (including FM radio, satellite and shortwave radio, and global television)."

Scammers used Claude to run fake dating profiles

Anthropic's report has a warning of sorts for dating app users. The company said in April 2026 it detected a fraudulent network of 20 dating apps advertised as "fully human." 

Instead, the China-based app studio behind the network used Claude to power the majority of its personas and mixed in gig workers hired to pose as potential love interests. Those individuals also relied on another AI model to generate messages for responses. 

During a two-week period in April, Anthropic identified nearly 5,000 AI personas that chatted with at least 25,000 unique users. The company said it banned the accounts and organizations involved in the operation.

AI safety concerns prompt fervor over regulation

"We’re publishing this work because we believe we have a responsibility to disclose malicious misuse of our services. As models become increasingly capable, their risks will increase, unless AI developers and society’s defenders act to make them safer," wrote the company.

A wave of rogue AI activity across the industry has prompted an energetic charge toward regulation. Anthropic recently co-signed industry-leading AI oversight bills for the state of California.

One of the bills will establish a first-of-its-kind independent audit registry made up of vetted third-party evaluators. The second bill creates a framework for evaluating AI systems and companies in accordance with existing state law.

The bills were also backed by competitor OpenAI, with the company signaling its support for the legislation days before Governor Gavin Newsom signed them into law. Earlier this week, OpenAI announced it was exploring a new framework for alerting the public to AI agents on the loose.

UPDATE: Sep. 10, 2026, 1:16 p.m. This story was updated with additional findings from Anthropic's report, including Claude's role in dating profile scams and international disinformation campaigns.

Google may not have any news to share about the missing Gemini 3.5 Pro (the next-gen AI model originally scheduled to be released in June), but the company does have a consolation prize for Windows users.

In a Thursday blog post, the company announced the launch of a Gemini app for Windows, a long-requested tool in the AI world. Redditors have been complaining about the lack of a Windows app and sharing workarounds for months, and now Google has answered the call.

Users working on a Windows laptop or PC will now be able to call up Gemini with a keyboard shortcut.

"Press Alt + Space on your PC at any time to open Gemini over your active work," the blog post states. "Whether you need a quick fact-check on a document or a few catchy title ideas for a presentation, you can get the help you need and jump right back into your workflow."

Google says users will be able to use the Gemini Windows app to run Gemini Spark, connect other Google apps such as Gmail and Drive, and create AI-generated images and videos.

How to download the Gemini Windows app

This one's easy. Just head to gemini.google/desktop and click "Download for Windows." You can follow the prompts and install the program like any other.

Google says the app will be available for all Windows 10 and 11 users, and will be updated with additional capabilities in the future.

Few events lure people away from Pornhub. The World Cup was one, and yesterday's Apple Event was another.

Apple fans typically close their Pornhub tabs at the start of these annual September product launches. Android users, however, don't seem to care. That was the case in 2025, and this year, Pornhub told Mashable that Android traffic remained close to average throughout the event.

But for Apple users, it's a different story. In fact, Pornhub saw the biggest decline in pageviews during an Apple Event in the past five years — and you can probably guess what for.

Two minutes before the event started, Pornhub pageviews on Apple devices were down 19.1 percent compared to an average day. Anticipation was high, as rumors of the foldable iPhone had mounted for weeks.

Credit: Screenshot: Pornhub

Apple did lose some people to porn as the new iPhone 18 Pro was revealed. It can't even fold! And even fewer people focused on the AirPods 5 and new Apple Watches. Traffic on non-Apple devices even went slightly above average (+3 percent) during this time. What, they don't they care about the new ceramic watch material!?

Credit: Screenshot: Pornhub

But, as you can imagine, what really got people away from the salaciousness of Pornhub was the announcement of the foldable iPhone Duo. On Apple devices, pageviews were nearly 22 percent lower than on an average day during the reveal, which the site confirmed with Mashable was the biggest drop in traffic during a September Apple event in the last five years.

Viewers on non-Apple devices weren't as enthralled, but pageviews were around five percent lower than average.

Credit: Screenshot: Pornhub

The distraction away from Pornhub was short-lived, though. By the event's end, pageviews on Apple devices were only around seven percent lower than average. Not even the Duo can hold off Pornhub fans for too long.

Credit: Screenshot: Pornhub

See the minute-by-minute breakdown of traffic on Pornhub's insights blog. And if you missed the Apple Event, here's everything that was announced.

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GTA 6 is just a few months away, and if you haven't already dropped $80 on a pre-order, then what are you waiting for?

If you're hoping to play GTA 6 as part of your Xbox Game Pass subscription, then I have some bad news for you: Grand Theft Auto VI will not be included in Xbox Game Pass at launch. Unfortunately, the same goes for PC gamers. So, if you're a casual player who was hoping to avoid buying a $600 gaming console just to play GTA 6, Xbox Game Pass isn't the solution.

Will GTA 6 be added to the Xbox Game Pass library at a later date? Probably! In fact, previous GTA games have been included in the subscription. However, even if GTA 6 is eventually added to the Xbox Game Pass, it could be awhile. And don't forget that Xbox Game Pass is going to impose strict monthly limits on cloud gaming in November, the same month GTA 6 is released.

Xbox Game Pass is a monthly subscription service that provides gamers with online console multiplayer access along with a library of titles. Xbox Game Pass actually includes quite a selection of games, depending on your plan. For example, the $22.99 per month Game Pass Ultimate plan includes more than 500 titles, including a selection of launch-day games, and doesn't require an Xbox console.

Not all games are added to Xbox Game Pass. Many popular titles do eventually get added, but usually not from day one.

Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of GTA developer Rockstar Games' parent company Take-Two, addressed the organization's view of game subscription services during a GamesIndustry.biz live event in 2022.

"We've supported various subscription services and we're happy to do so," Zelnick said at the time. "Our scepticism has been around making frontline console products available day and date with subscription. That doesn't make any sense to us, because economically speaking, we don't think consumers are prepared to pay for that. And we can't afford to turn our business upside down in a way that doesn't make sense economically. There always has to be an intersection between what the consumer wants and what the publisher is able to do. And you know, it doesn't make sense to do that for our properties."

Rockstar Games' GTA 6 predecessor, Grand Theft Auto V, has been included in the Xbox Game Pass numerous times over the years. GTA 5 was available on Game Pass in 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2025, and usually stayed on the service for a few months before being removed.

GTA 5's most recent stint on Xbox Game Pass ended on April 15, 2026.

With that said, GTA 5 was released all the way back in 2013, and its first inclusion in Xbox Game Pass was more than six and a half years later.

So, will gamers have to wait nearly seven years for GTA 6 to be added to Xbox Game Pass or other cloud gaming subscriptions? We just don't know. But one thing is certain: if you want to play GTA 6 when it launches later this year, you're going to have to buy it outright and play on either an Xbox or PlayStation console.

Disclosure Day, which hit theaters in early June, marks a return to sci-fi for legendary director Steven Spielberg. Not just sci-fi, but specifically alien-themed sci-fi. It also reunites him with many of his longtime collaborators, including screenwriter David Koepp, who also wrote Jurassic Park and War of the Worlds. In other words, if you're a Spielberg fan, it's a must-watch.

The best ways to watch 'Disclosure Day' at a glance:

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Buy or rent 'Disclosure Day' on Prime Video

$19.99 or $9.99

Shop Now

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Buy or rent 'Disclosure Day' at Apple TV

$19.99 or $9.99

Shop Now

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Buy or rent 'Disclosure Day' on Fandango

$19.99 or $9.99

Shop Now

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Watch as of Oct. 9

Peacock Premium yearly subscription

$129.99/year (save $25.89)

Get Deal

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Watch as of Oct. 9

Peacock Premium for Students and Young Adults

$5.99/month for 12 months (save $7/month)

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Watch as of Oct. 9

Peacock Premium for First Responders and Medical Professionals

$6.99/month (save $6/month)

Get Deal

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Watch as of Oct. 9

Peacock Premium for Active Military and Veterans

$6.99/month (save $6/month)

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Watch as of Oct. 9

Peacock Premium for Teachers

$6.99/month (save $6/month)

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Watch as of Oct. 9

Instacart+ (includes Peacock Premium for free)

$99.99/year (save $129.99/year)

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Watch as of Oct. 9

Walmart+ (includes Peacock Premium for free)

$98/year (save $129.99/year)

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"With Disclosure Day, I experienced the distinctive thrill of watching a master filmmaker do what he does best," Mashable's Kristy Puchko cheered. In her review of the film, she called it "a dizzying mix of action, humor, adventure, sci-fi, and wonder."

Unfortunately, it underperformed at theaters, despite an 80 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating. Universal Pictures is hoping to find a wider audience in October, as the alien thriller is officially making its streaming debut. Here are all the streaming details you need to know to watch Disclosure Day.

What is Disclosure Day about?

Disclosure Day follows cybersecurity administrator Daniel Kellner (Josh O'Connor), who is on the run from a military-industrial corporation called Wardex after he steals sensitive files that he seeks to reveal to the world. I'm not saying it's aliens, but it's definitely aliens. He teams up with TV meteorologist Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt), and they fight "not just for the future of humanity, but also humanity's understanding of the universe," as Mashable's entertainment editor puts it in her review.

Check out the official trailer below.

How to watch Disclosure Day at home

Credit: Universal Pictures

Disclosure Day will be available to watch at home three different ways as of Oct. 9: buy it or rent it via digital-on-demand retailers or stream it. We've broken down the details below.

Buy or rent it on digital

A little over a month after its theatrical release, Disclosure Day made its digital debut on July 21, 2026. Now that it's been on digital-on-demand retailers for a couple of months, the price has gone down from $24.99 to $19.99 to purchase it and $19.99 to $9.99 to rent it.

If you choose to rent, you'll get 30 days to watch the film and just 48 hours to finish it once you start. If you choose to buy it, then it's yours to keep and watch as many times as you want.

Here are some quick links to rent or purchase the film.

• Apple TV — buy for $19.99, rent for $9.99

• Fandango — buy for $19.99, rent for $9.99

• Google Play — buy for $19.99, rent for $9.99

• Prime Video — buy for $19.99, rent for $9.99

Stream it on Peacock

We originally estimated that Disclosure Day would hit streaming in September, but you'll have to wait just a little longer. The Universal Pictures sci-fi thriller is set to make its streaming debut on Peacock on October 9, 2026.

While the cheapest Peacock subscription costs just $8.99 per month, it unfortunately won't grant you access to theatrical releases. You'll need at least Peacock Premium, which costs $12.99 per month, to stream Disclosure Day. Before you sign up, be sure to check out some of the best ways to save some money on a subscription below.

The best Peacock streaming deals

Best Peacock deal: Save up to $39 on an annual subscription

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Credit: Peacock

Peacock Premium annual subscription

$129.99 per year or $199.99 per year (save 17%)

Get Deal

The best way to save money on a streaming subscription on any given day is by opting for the annual plan instead of the monthly plan. Paying for a year of Peacock Premium or Premium Plus up front saves you up to $39.89 per year.

Peacock Premium (with ads) costs $12.99 monthly, which adds up to $155.88 for 12 months. If you pay for the annual plan, however, it'll only cost you $129.99 — a savings of $25.89. Likewise, the Premium Plus plan costs $19.99 per month, which adds up to $239.88. The annual plan, on the other hand, costs just $169.99 — a savings of $39.89. You'll essentially be getting two months of streaming for free by opting for an annual subscription.

Best Peacock deal for Xfinity customers: Free Peacock Premium for eligible accounts

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Credit: Peacock / Xfinity

Peacock Premium

Free for select Xfinity customers

Learn More

Nothing beats free. If you're an Xfinity customer and have yet to check if you get Peacock for free, I highly recommend heading to Xfinity.com for more details. Here's a brief breakdown:

• Xfinity Internet customers who are Diamond or Platinum Xfinity Rewards members can get Peacock Premium for free by redeeming a reward for it. Sign in at xfinity.com/rewards and choose Peacock as a reward. Then, wait for your email (it may take a few hours) with instructions on activating the offer.

• NOW TV customers can also receive Peacock Premium as part of their service.

• New customers with Xfinity Internet and an X1 TV Box, Flex streaming TV Box, or a Xumo Stream Box from Xfinity can get Peacock Premium for free for six months.

Best Peacock deal for students and young adults: Save $7/month for one year

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Credit: Peacock

Peacock Premium for Students

$5.99/month for 12 months (save $7/month)

Get Deal

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Credit: Peacock

Peacock Premium for young adults

$5.99/month for 12 months (save $7/month)

Get Deal

Both students and young adults (ages 18 to 24) can take $7 per month off a Peacock Premium subscription all year long. Verify your student status or age through SheerID and generate a unique promo code to knock the price down to just $5.99 instead of $12.99. Just a heads up that once the promo year is up, you'll be charged full price unless you cancel.

Best for first responders, medical professionals, military, and teachers: Save $6/month

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Credit: Peacock

Peacock Premium for First Responders and Medical Professionals

$6.99 per month (save $6 per month)

Get Deal

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Credit: Peacock

Peacock Premium for Military

$6.99 per month (save $6 per month)

Get Deal

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Credit: Peacock

Peacock Premium for Teachers

$6.99/month (save $6 per month)

Get Deal

First responders, medical professionals, teachers, and military personnel can all unlock Peacock Premium subscriptions (with ads) for a discounted rate of $6.99 per month by verifying professional status through SheerID. If you continue to meet verification qualifications, then you can renew your subscription at a discounted rate each year. Prices are subject to change year to year.

Best for Instacart users: Free Peacock Premium with Instacart+ subscription

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Credit: Instacart / Peacock

Peacock Premium annual subscription

Free for Instacart+ subscribers (save $129.99/year)

Get Deal

An Instacart+ membership ($99.99 per year) unlocks a free Peacock Premium subscription ($129.99 per year value) on top of free grocery delivery, lower fees, and credit back on eligible pickup orders. You'll even get a free two-week trial to kick things off. Pro tip: Sign up for your trial of Instacart+ when Disclosure Day debuts on Peacock so you can watch it for free. Just be sure to cancel before you're charged the full amount. We recommend setting a calendar alert to remind you.

Best for Walmart shoppers: Free Peacock Premium for Walmart+ members

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Credit: Walmart

Walmart+

$98 per year

Get Deal

One of the best ways to score streaming services for free is by signing up for a Walmart+ membership. A $98 Walmart+ subscription unlocks either Peacock Premium or Paramount+ Essential as a free perk — and you can switch every few months. Since Peacock Premium is a $129.99 value, the $98 Walmart+ membership is already a better deal than paying for Peacock on its own. With Walmart+, you'll also get free shipping with no order minimums, fuel discounts, a Scan & Go checkout tool, and early access to deals during Walmart's major shopping events.

UPDATE: Sep. 10, 2026, 12:00 p.m. EDT This story has been updated to include the official streaming date for "Disclosure Day," as well as the latest pricing information at digital on-demand retailers and Peacock.

Apple's foldable iPhone Duo doesn't even come out until Oct. 23, but it already has a lookalike. That's because the iPhone Duo wasn't the only short and wide foldable device announced this week.

Just a couple of days before the big Apple event, in which the Duo was announced alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and other devices, Xiaomi launched a competitor of its own, per PhoneArena. It's called the Xiaomi 18 Fold and, as you can see from the photos, it looks a lot like the iPhone Duo. It trades the boxy corners of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, which came out over the summer, for the rounded edges and D-shape of the Duo.

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Reports prior to the Galaxy Z Fold 8's launch suggested that Samsung picked that form factor because of what Apple was doing, and it's very possible Xiaomi did the same. The phone is unlikely to be released outside of China, but here are some of the specs, in case you're curious:

• Display: 7.58-inch main display and 5.38-inch cover display

• Processor: XRING O3

• RAM: 12/16GB

• Storage: 256/512GB/1TB

• Battery: 6,000mAh

• Cameras: 200MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP telephoto

The Xiaomi 18 Fold also has one big potential advantage over the iPhone Duo. It has three cameras (including a true telephoto lens and a 200MP main shooter), and they're Leica cameras.

Credit: Xiaomi

Those are pretty decent specs for a phone whose Chinese price converts to roughly $1,600 USD, but again, there's no way you'll ever get one in the States without importing it. That's sure to drive the cost up into iPhone Duo territory, so at that point, you might as well just get one of Apple or Samsung's foldables.

However, the device could offer Apple some competition when the iPhone Duo launches in China.

Clearly, this specific form factor is officially a thing now.

Top smartphone deals of the week

If the $1,999 iPhone Duo isn’t in your budget, this is a great time to take advantage of discounts on previous-generation iPhones and Android devices.

• Get the iPhone 17 for $0 down at T-Mobile

• Samsung Galaxy S26 FE + $200 Amazon Gift Card — $799.99 $999.99 (save $200)

• Google Pixel 11 Pro — $1,019.70 $1,099 (save $79.30)

• Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra — $1,049.99 $1,299.99 (save $250)

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 — $1,649.99 $1,899.99 (save $250)

As someone who worked at Hallmark for years of my early adult life, I can say with certainty that it's basically already Christmas in the retail world. So that means it's time to start thinking about gifts. Amazon's on top of it, as the mega retailer just released its list of the Top 100+ Toys of 2026.

For those who want to get their shopping started extra early, several of these top toys are already on sale. Others, while not discounted, are likely to be in high demand this holiday season. So we'd recommend snagging those sooner rather than later if you want to ensure you get your hands on them. It may seem dramatic to start holiday shopping in early September, but with the state of the economy in 2026, spreading out your spending can help you stay within your budget. You know, rather than splurging all at once come Dec. 1.

We've looked through Amazon's list of the best toys of 2026 and selected a few we think are worth grabbing early, whether they're on sale or likely to sell out. Be sure to check out the full shoppable list if you need some more gift ideas for kids in your life.

Amazon Top 100 Toys of 2026 in high-demand

Trading cards and collectibles

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Credit: Pokémon

Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box

$89.99 at Amazon

 

Get Deal

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Credit: Ravensburger

Ravensburger Disney Lorcana TCG: Illumineer's Quest

$59.99 at Amazon

 

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Trading cards and collectibles are popular gifts for 2026. In honor of three decades of Pokémon, the 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box is particularly in high demand. It requires an invitation to purchase, so secure your chance now to grab it.

DIY building kits that double as decor

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Credit: Play-Doh

Play-Doh Blooms Blush Flower Bouquet Making Kit

$39.99 at Amazon

 

Get Deal

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Credit: Lego

Lego Botanicals Woodland Mushrooms Building Set

$79.95 at Amazon

 

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Lego Botanicals building sets make excellent gifts for just about anyone, young or old, but Play-Doh's new building kit is giving them a run for their money. Both serve as hands-on ways to flex those creative muscles.

Amazon Top Toys of 2026 already on sale

• Skillmatics Peelies reusable stickers — $9.47 $14.97 (save $5.50)

• Educational Insights Kanoodle Fan Edition — $12.96 $16.99 (save $4.03)

• Crazy Aaron's Better Butter Thinking Putty — $14.99 $21.97 (save $6.98)

• Giant Tower Stack — $34.86 $69.99 (save $35.13)

• Peppa Pig Ready, Pedal, Go Peppa Interactive Figure — $39.99 $44.99 (save $5)

• Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Mutant Monster Takedown Playset — $49.99 $53.99 (save $4)

• PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie Megasaurus Dino Vehicle with Inflatable Toy — $49.99 $64.99 (save $15)

TL;DR: Physical preorders for Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake are already $10.11 off at Amazon and Walmart. Both retailers have them listed for just $59.88 (normally $69.99) as of Sept. 10.

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Credit: Nintendo

"The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" for Nintendo Switch 2

$59.88 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $10.11

 

Pre-order Here

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Credit: Nintendo

"The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" for Nintendo Switch 2

$59.88 at Walmart
$69.99 Save $10.11

Sign in to see the price in your cart.

Pre-order Here

One of this week's Nintendo Direct livestreams brought us some long-awaited details about the upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake for the Nintendo Switch 2. That includes an official release date of Nov. 5 and a first look at gameplay footage, complete with modernized visuals, free camera controls, and a dedicated jump button. Hyah!

Digital and physical copies of the Ocarina of Time remake are now available for preorder. The digital version costs $59.99, while the physical version goes for for $69.99 — unless you buy it from Amazon or Walmart. As of Sept. 10, both retailers are selling physical copies for just $59.88, or a little over $10 off. (That offer wasn't being matched by Best Buy, Target, GameStop, or the Nintendo Store at the time of writing.)

Try to get your preorder in soon. In a press release, Nintendo said the first print run of the game's physical version will have "special packaging that features textured foil cover art."

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Nintendo is also releasing some Legend of Zelda-themed hardware this fall, in honor of the franchise's 40th anniversary. That includes a special-edition Switch 2 console, Pro Controller, and carrying case, all out Oct. 29. Mashable contributor Lauren Allain has all the details.

Long ago, the Four Nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when... the Avatar attacked?

That's the gist of the trailer for Avatar: Seven Havens, which takes place around 225 years after the end of Avatar: The Legend of Korra. In that time, a mysterious cataclysm has reshaped the world. The boundaries between the physical world and spirit world are as good as gone, humanity has retreated to secure Havens, and everyone apparently hates the Avatar. Why? Because according to the trailer, Korra is responsible for the world's destruction.

Now, her young successor Pavi (voiced by Saheli Khan) must navigate a world that despises her, one that looks like the Avatar universe mixed with Mad Max. From threatening desert storms to post-apocalyptic vehicles meant to withstand post-apocalyptic disaster, it's a vastly different Avatar world than we're used to.

The changes carry over to the Havens, which have replaced the Four Nations. Unlike in prior Avatar shows, the Havens are not based around one bending culture. Instead, they're a big melting pot of surviving benders. The trailer introduces the vast Haven of Ellora, whose architecture and inhabitants reflect the blend of nations.

Thankfully, Pavi won't have to carry the burden of being the Avatar alone. She'll have help from her airbending friend and mentor Jae (Major Curda), as well as her long-lost twin sister Nisha (Aishu Devan). And who can forget her loyal companion, cat-monkey Geet (Dee Bradley Baker)?

With Jae and Nisha's help, Pavi will attempt to unravel her and her sister's mysterious pasts and restore balance to the world. While she's at it, hopefully she can clear Korra's name, right? Right?

Avatar: Seven Havens premieres Oct. 9 on Paramount+.

Want more film and TV news and reviews delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts.

SAVE $15: Our top-rated budget air purifier, the Levoit Core 300-P, is down to $84.99 on Amazon. That's a 15% discount off its regular $99.99 list price.

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Credit: Levoit

Levoit Core 300-P air purifier

$84.99 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $15

 

Get Deal

If you're dealing with seasonal allergies, constantly wiping dust off your furniture, or trying to keep up with pet hair, a solid air purifier makes a huge difference. Our go-to budget pick — the Levoit Core 300-P — is currently marked down to $84.99 on Amazon, saving you $15 off its usual $99.99 list price.

Inside, it packs a 3-stage defense: a washable pre-filter for floating fur and lint, an H13 true HEPA filter that traps 99.97% of micro-particles (pollen, dust mites, smoke), and an activated carbon layer to neutralize cooking smells and litter box odors.

Named the best budget air purifier in Mashable's testing by Leah Stodart and Lauren Allain, the Levoit Core 300P earns its spot by delivering total bang for your buck as a simple, unbox-and-go option for under $100.

Its biggest win is how little space it takes up. Standing just 14.2 inches tall and under nine inches wide, it works easily on a tabletop, nightstand, or floor, making it super portable to carry from room to room. Mashable’s Digital Culture Editor Crystal Bell relies on it for her home to manage cat hair and dander, noting how much smaller and compact it is compared to bulkier units like her Coway Airmega.

It circulates clean air in spaces up to 1,073 square feet in just an hour. In dedicated Sleep Mode, the fan drops to a whisper-quiet 24dB and turns off all top panel lights so you aren't stuck sleeping next to a glowing nightlight. Touch controls let you toggle three fan speeds, set 2-to-8-hour off timers, and check filter life indicators. It’s cheap to run, easy to maintain, and does the heavy lifting so your lungs don't have to.

Grab our favorite budget HEPA air purifier on Amazon while it's still 15% off.

Warning: This story contains bloody video game images that some readers may find disturbing.

Developer Insomniac Games found massive success with Marvel’s Spider-Man, as well as its Miles Morales spin-off and direct sequel. Now, the PlayStation studio has taken another stab at another Marvel hero, the angry and animalistic Wolverine.

Insomniac Games attempts to inject Marvel’s Wolverine with what made its web-slinging previous adventures so resonant with audiences, namely its powerful storytelling, to resounding results. While the combat initially starts off one-dimensional, it eventually opens up with more options and sinks its claws into you.

Team X vs X-Men

Credit: Marvel / Insomniac Games

Marvel’s Wolverine follows the titular character’s journey with Team X as they fight for a better future where mutants can live without being feared or discriminated against. What the story and setup do well is feel familiar yet distinct from other Wolverine-related media.

Team X consists of some lesser-known characters, such as Wolverine’s mentor figure, Nathaniel Essex (Mister Sinister), and the brilliant scientist Walter Langkowski (Sasquatch). They feel like stand-ins for Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Hank McCoy (Beast), who are often used for those equivalent roles. This approach to cast selection for Team X gives Marvel’s Wolverine its own unique sense of identity since audiences have become so accustomed to seeing X-Men.

Of course, there are also recognizable names, including Jean Grey, Mystique, Sabretooth, and Bolivar Trask. They’re more or less similar to their comic book counterparts, which helps fans, whether hardcore or casual, get acquainted with them more easily. My main exposure to Marvel is through the MCU. Even though I don’t read comics at all, I knew enough about Marvel lore and its characters to stay absorbed with Insomniac’s world here.

Credit: Insomniac Games / Screenshot by George Yang

The story in Marvel’s Wolverine is rather poignant as well. It deals with heavy themes such as genocide, betrayal, and trauma, which are the ingredients of any competent X-Men story. Each of our heroes has their own personal demons to deal with, and the story allows us to authentically and emotionally connect with their inner turmoil.

It’s all couched in a cinematic globetrotting journey. Unlike Spider-Man and New York, Wolverine isn’t tied down to any specific city. As a result, Team X’s expedition takes them to places like Canada, Japan, and the fictional Southeast Asian country Madripoor. The art design and environments shine, delivering a fresh change of scenery every few hours.

'Wolverine' lets you go feral

Credit: Insomniac Games / Screenshot by George Yang

The combat in Marvel’s Wolverine is straightforward and fast-paced. It’s heavily melee-focused with Wolverine gauging his claws into every orifice of his enemies. When I say it’s bloody, it’s bloody. The amount of red liquid that comes spewing out and the flying dismembered limbs really gives the moment-to-moment gameplay a real visceral and satisfying feeling.

You’ll often be fighting multiple enemies at once, balancing between parrying and unleashing relentless assaults on them. You have to rein in your own bloodthirstiness and know when to momentarily take a breather to fend off an incoming attack from the side. You’d be surprised how easy it is to get overwhelmed when you’re surrounded. This prevents you from endlessly spamming attacks.

Wolverine also has a Rage meter that builds up by playing aggressively. Starting at Rage Tier 2, he can come back from death once by depleting the remaining meter. And at Rage Tier 3, Wolverine’s attacks deal significantly more damage. The combat might come off as button-mashy, but the Rage meter provides structure, flow, and a goal to aim for when trying to clear a room full of enemies.

Credit: Insomniac Games / Screenshot by George Yang

At first, the combat feels a bit too simplistic and repetitive. But that’s alleviated by the excellent progression systems. As Wolverine levels up, he can learn a variety of skills such as counters, jump attacks, and tackles. Furthermore, the collectibles scattered throughout the stages are vital. Material Chests let you unlock more suits from Wolverine’s extensive media history, which in turn increases his maximum HP. Finding Whisky Bottles and completing timed trials in Nightmare Doors expand his Adaptations, which grant him passive abilities, like automatic health regeneration at a certain threshold or extending the timing window of parries. So even though Marvel’s Wolverine isn’t an open-world game like Marvel’s Spider-Man, it’s always worth exploring every nook and cranny on each stage.

However, the biggest oversight is the poorly implemented stealth mechanics. Like many other action-adventure games, Wolverine can sneak around in grass and if he gets close enough, kill them in one strike without alerting nearby enemies. Unfortunately, his range is very limited, and the targeting feels off. Larger stages leave more wiggle room for him to pounce around, but in smaller arenas, it’s just a nonstarter. It feels like many of the stages just aren’t built adequately for stealth. It’s really only helpful for picking off a few enemies before you inevitably get spotted. At the start of every encounter, you might as well just jump in guns blazing…or claws out.

Again, again, again!

Credit: Insomniac Games / Screenshot by George Yang

After completing the story, the game allows you to replay levels to pick up any collectibles you may have missed the first time around. Additionally, New Game Plus increases Wolverine’s level cap to make him stronger and unlocks new Adaptations. While a linear action-adventure game like Marvel’s Wolverine doesn’t have as much replayability as an open-world game would, there’s enough warranted here for repeated playthroughs, especially on higher difficulties.

As with many other PlayStation first-party games, Marvel’s Wolverine boasts a large suite of accessibility options. These include motion sensitivity sliders, colorblind options, and audio cues. Also, if the gore proves too much, you can toggle the dismemberment and blood off in the gameplay settings. They’re boons for all sorts of players, even if you don’t have any disabilities. For example, the High Contrast Background setting makes your surroundings grey while keeping interactable objects bright. This makes it easier to hunt down collectibles.

My final verdict: I didn't want to put this game down, and it's a bloody good time.

Marvel's Wolverine

$69 at Amazon

 

See It at Amazon

TL;DR: Get the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 for free from T-Mobile when you trade in your eligible phone on an Experience Beyond plan. Alternatively, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is up to $1,900 off with an eligible trade-in and the Motorola Razr Fold is up to $1,100 off with an eligible trade-in.

The best iPhone Duo alternative deals at T-Mobile:

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

free with eligible trade-in on Experience Beyond plan (save up to $1,900)

Get Deal

---

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

Up to $1,900 off with eligible trade-in

Get Deal

---

Motorola Razr Fold

Up to $1,100 off with eligible trade-in

Get Deal

Everyone's talking about the iPhone Duo right now, but Samsung and Motorola have been nailing the foldable phones for years. The iPhone Duo, revealed this week at the "Surprise and shine" keynote after years of rumors, starts at $1,999 for 256GB of storage and will be available on Oct. 23. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra, as well as Motorola's Razr Fold are available now for much less at T-Mobile. Here's how to score a new foldable phone for less.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 deals at T-Mobile

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Credit: Samsung

T-Mobile: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 for free

 

Get Deal

Our favorite Android foldable to date could be yours for literally $0 if you trade-in an eligible phone on a specific plan, but if you don't fit neatly into that box, there are still other ways to save. Here are the best deals on the Z Fold 8 at T-Mobile as of Sept. 10.

• Get the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 for free (up to $1,900 off) with eligible trade-in on Experience Beyond plan

• Get up to $1,100 off with trade-in on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan

• Get up to $500 off with trade-in on most plans

• Get up to $250 off with trade-in on Simple Choice plans

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra deals at T-Mobile

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Credit: Samsung

T-Mobile: Get up to $1,900 off the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra

 

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The Z Fold 8 Ultra didn't update much for 2026 (beyond its price), but that's not a bad thing. "The thin chassis, gorgeous displays, and newly improved battery go a long way towards making it a very good phone," Mashable's reviewer writes. If money weren't an object, he says it's his foldable of choice. Fortunately, T-Mobile has made this very expensive phone, which starts at $2,099.99, more approachable. Here are the best Z Fold 8 Ultra deals at T-Mobile as of Sept. 10.

• Get up to $1,900 off with eligible trade-in on an Experience Beyond plan

• Get up to $1,100 off with trade-in on Experience More or Experience Beyond plan

• Get up to $500 off with trade-in on most plans

• Get up to $250 off with trade-in on Simple Choice plans

Motorola Razr Fold deals at T-Mobile

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Credit: Motorola

T-Mobile: Get up to $1,100 off the Motorola Razr Fold

 

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Motorola's Razr Fold "feels great in the hand, is easy to use, has killer displays, and boasts strong performance from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset," according to Mashable's tech reporter Alex Perry. Though it's not our favorite, there's no denying it's an excellent phone. It starts at $1,899.99 like the Z Fold 8, but here are some ways to get it cheaper at T-Mobile as of Sept. 10.

• Get up to $1,100 off with eligible trade-in on Experience Beyond plan

• Get up to $800 off with trade-in on Experience More or Experience Beyond plan

• Get up to $500 off with trade-in on most plans

• Get up to $250 off with trade-in on Simple Choice plans

SAVE $30: As of Sept. 10, the base-model Apple AirPods 4 are currently marked down to $99.00 on Amazon — a clean $30 drop (23% off) from their $129.00 retail price.

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Credit: Apple

Apple AirPods 4

$99 at Amazon
$129 Save $30

 

Get Deal

If you’re still clinging to an ancient pair of original AirPods that lose their charge after 20 minutes, consider this your sign to finally upgrade. Apple’s base-model AirPods 4 just dropped to $99.00 on Amazon — saving you $30 on a pair of wireless earbuds that were redesigned from the ground up.

Let’s start by addressing the biggest issue with older open-ear AirPods: they loved to slide right out of your ears the second you started jogging or tilted your head back. To fix that annoying slip, Apple completely overhauled the shape, shortened the stem, and tweaked the contours based on thousands of ear-scan data points so they lock in place comfortably without shoving silicone tips deep into your ear canal.

They’re also IP54-rated for dust, sweat, and water resistance, so heavy gym sessions or sudden rainstorms won't fry them. These buds run on Apple’s flagship H2 chip (the same silicon powering their higher-end Pro model). As a result, you get noticeably punchier sound quality, 3D Spatial Audio with head tracking for movies and gaming, plus Voice Isolation that scrubs out ambient noise so people actually hear you on phone calls.

Hands-free control gets an upgrade, too, thanks to Siri Interactions. Powered by internal accelerometers, you can answer an incoming call by simply nodding your head "yes" or decline a call by shaking your head "no" when your hands are full, or you're on a crowded train.

The charging case also received quite a shrink, coming in over 10% smaller in total volume compared to the older AirPods 3 case. Apple also officially retired the legacy Lightning connector here in favor of universal USB-C charging, so you can juice them up using the exact same cable as your laptop, iPad, or newer iPhone.

Head over to Amazon to grab the redesigned Apple AirPods 4 for $99 before the two-digit discount disappears.

So, you missed out on tickets to see BTS's long-awaited return. There's still a way to see it!

The ARIRANG world tour, the Bangtan Boys' first tour together in four years, is well underway. Hitting 34 cities across the world, the tour kicked off in Goyang, South Korea on April 9 — and at this point, almost every one of the 82 shows has been sold out. But there's an alternative, ARMY.

ICYMI, BTS has been livestreaming their concerts in cinemas. The filmed concert series is a collab between HYBE, BigHit Music, and Trafalgar Releasing, who did the same thing with Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. All seven members of BTS — RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook — will perform songs from BTS's fifth studio album, ARIRANG, as well as that colossal BTS catalogue.

Here's everything you need to know about the BTS World Tour Arirang Live Viewing.

When is the BTS World Tour Arirang Live Viewing?

BTS has already brought their ARIRANG world tour concerts to movie theaters, and as someone who watched it in a London cinema, I can say it's an absolute treat. Fans already attended the April 11 screening, streamed live from Goyang Stadium, the April 18 concert from the Tokyo Dome in Japan, and the June 13 concert at Busan Asiad Main Stadium in South Korea.

Now, four more streaming dates have been added for shows in South America:

● Buenos Aires, Argentina: Oct. 24 (Americas only) / Sunday, October 25 (rest of world).

● São Paulo, Brazil: Oct. 30 (Americas only) / Saturday, October 31 (rest of world).

Times will vary across time zones, so check the website for your session times.

How to watch the BTS World Tour Arirang Live Viewing

Tickets for the BTS World Tour Arirang Live Viewing are available from the official website. The streamed Buenos Aires and São Paulo shows go on sale Sept. 17 at 6 a.m. PT / 9 a.m. ET / 2 p.m. BST.

Just find your nearest cinemas by filtering locations and pick your time slot. Prices will vary across countries.

Wait, didn't BTS do a livestreamed concert before the tour?

They sure did, but that was a special event for Netflix marking the band's first performance together in four years. That was also when poor RM injured his ankle during rehearsal and performed seated or behind the slickest mic I've ever seen.

BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang is now streaming on Netflix, so if you've got a Netflix account, you can watch the set from Gwanghwamun, outside Seoul's Gyeongbokgung Palace, which includes BTS's first-ever live performances of songs from Arirang. While you're there, check out the Netflix documentary BTS: The Return — you won't regret it.

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Credit: BTS

Attend BTS World Tour Arirang Live Viewing

 

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Everywhere you can preorder the new Apple Watches:

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Amazon

Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm)

$399

Pre-Order Here

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Apple Store

Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm)

$399

Pre-Order Here

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Best Buy

Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm)

$399

Pre-Order Here

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Walmart

Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm)

$399

Pre-Order Here

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Amazon

Apple Watch Ultra 4 (GPS + cellular, 49mm)

$799

Pre-Order Here

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Apple Store

Apple Watch Ultra 4 (GPS + cellular, 49mm)

$799

Pre-Order Here

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Best Buy

Apple Watch Ultra 4 (GPS + cellular, 49mm)

$799

Pre-Order Here

New iPhones weren't the only devices Apple announced during its "Surprise and Shine" event Wednesday. The company also revealed two upgraded smartwatches, and they're both available for preorder already.

The lineup includes the new flagship Apple Watch Series 12 and the premium rugged Apple Watch Ultra 4. (Apple didn't revisit its budget Apple Watch SE 3 this time around.) Shoppers can preorder both watches through the Apple Store, Amazon, and Best Buy ahead of their joint release on Friday, Sept. 18. The Series 12 is also available at Walmart.

Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 pricing

The Apple Watch Series 12 is available with rubber, textile, and stainless steel band styles. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

Notably, neither Apple Watch received a price hike from the previous generation:

• Apple Watch Series 12 — starting from $399 in two sizes (42mm or 46mm)

• Apple Watch Ultra 4 — starting from $799 in one size (49mm)

Like always, the Ultra model comes standard with cellular connectivity. It's an optional $100 upgrade on certain Series 12 variants, depending on the case style.

Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 features

Apple calls the Ultra 4 "the ultimate sports and adventure watch." Credit: Apple

Both new Apple Watches run on the new S11 chip and include a new Health Sensing System with improved sensors. Apple said this system captures more accurate, continuous heart rate data and enables a "Readiness" score that tells the user how intensely they should exercise based on recent activities.

The S11 chip also enables "Audio Intelligence" features that utilize the watches' built-in microphones. Coming later this year, these include Sound Recognition alerts and Live Rewind conversation transcriptions. (To address privacy concerns, Apple said the watches don't record or store audio.)

The new Apple Watches' Readiness score tries to predict your bandwidth for future workouts. Credit: Apple

The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 will both work with Apple's newly redesigned Health app for iPhones, which also launches later this year.

The Series 12 is rated for up to 24 hours of battery life, while the Ultra 4 can last up to 50 hours per charge. That jumps to a whopping 84 hours in low power mode.

Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 colors

Here's a closer look at the Apple Watch Series 12's new ceramic finish. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

The Series 12's case will be available in three finishes and multiple colors:

• Aluminum (dark bronze, light gold, black, or space gray) starting from $399 with optional cellular connectivity

• Titanium (radiant gold or natural) starting from $699 with cellular connectivity

• Ceramic (pearl white or night blue) starting from $899 with cellular connectivity

Rubber, textile, and stainless steel bands are available for the Series 12.

The Ultra 4's case just comes in black titanium or natural titanium. It can be paired with an Alpine Loop, Trail Loop, Ocean Band, or Titanium Milanese Loop.

The Apple Store is also selling special-edition Hermès variants of both smartwatches, starting at $1,399 for the Series 12 and $1,499 for the Ultra 4. The latter is available with a new extendable Grand H titanium band for $3,149.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park.

Have you seen the viral videos showing the iPhone Duo's opening animation?

Videos showing stunned tech reporters repeatedly opening and closing the device are racking up tens of millions of views on social media, and it's easy to see why: Apple designers are just showing off with this one.

When you open the iPhone Duo, an optical illusion makes the outer screen appear to blur and blend into the inner display. For a moment, the fluid transition makes it look like you're peering through a pane of glass rather than a phone screen. It's like nothing we've ever seen on a phone before.

Tech creator Marques Brownlee shared a video of the Apple design flex that already has 32 million views and counting:

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Apple finally revealed the iPhone Duo, the first-ever folding iPhone with a flexible display, on Sept. 9. You'll have to wait until Oct. 23 to get the device in your hands (and come up with $1,999), but a chosen few have already gotten the chance to demo the device at Apple Park, including Mashable Senior Reporter Stan Schroeder, who went hands-on with the Duo.

In this Mashable video, a crowd gathers to watch the Duo open and close on a folding stand at Apple Park:

View this post on Instagram

The fluid transition effect is already resulting in memes like this:

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

I was skeptical of the iPhone Duo's design based on the leaks, but after seeing the big reveal, I have to say that I got this one wrong. The foldable phone looks gorgeous, and that opening animation is the kind of 10/10 design flex that shows exactly why Apple does user interfaces better than anyone.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

In addition to the iPhone Duo's blur effect when you unfold the device, Apple also added its premium nano-texture finish to the display. This will reduce glare and make the crease less visible, resulting in a highly polished look. The translucent Liquid Glass elements really shine on this device, too.

Top smartphone deals of the week

If the $1,999 iPhone Duo isn’t in your budget, this is a great time to take advantage of discounts on previous-generation iPhones and Android devices.

• Get the iPhone 17 for $0 down at T-Mobile

• Samsung Galaxy S26 FE + $200 Amazon Gift Card — $799.99 $999.99 (save $200)

• Google Pixel 11 Pro — $1,019.70 $1,099 (save $79.30)

• Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra — $1,049.99 $1,299.99 (save $250)

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 — $1,649.99 $1,899.99 (save $250)

Pricing for iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro:

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Preorders begin 9/12

Apple iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

Starts at $1,199

Learn More

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Preorders begin 10/16

Apple iPhone Duo

Starts at $1,999

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Rumors of Apple's foldable iPhone have been flying for years, but now we finally have it confirmed: the iPhone Duo is coming this October. At Apple's Sept. 9 event, the tech giant announced the full collection of new iPhones coming, which includes the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone Duo.

September marks the start of fall, the school year, and, of course, the new iPhone. For years now, Apple has launched its new iPhones in September, and this year is no different. Though, we didn't get the base model iPhone 18 this September — it's rumored to be released in spring 2027. Maybe your old iPhone is finally on its last leg, or perhaps you've just been waiting for the foldable iPhone, but either way, if you're ready to buy an iPhone, it's almost time.

Here's the pricing breakdown:

• iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max (burgundy, glacier, silver, and black) — starting at $1,199

• iPhone Duo (star white and night sky) — starting at $1,999

While we know the breakdown of the new iPhones' pricing, neither is available for preorder yet. So, when are you able to secure one of the new models for yourself?

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are available in a stunning new burgundy. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

When are the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max available for preorder?

Preorders for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max begin Saturday, Sept. 12. Both devices are set for release on Friday, Sept. 18.

Shoppers will be able to preorder the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max through the Apple Store, Best Buy, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max come in four new colors, including burgundy, glacier (a light blue), silver, and black. The iPhone Pro starts at $1,199 while the Pro Max starts at $1,299.

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Credit: Apple

Apple iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

$1,199 at Apple

Preorders begin Saturday, Sept. 12.

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When is the iPhone Duo available for preorder?

For the iPhone Duo, you'll need to wait a bit longer. The first foldable iPhone from Apple won't be available for preorder until Friday, Oct. 16. The Duo will then hit stores on Friday, Oct. 23.

iPhone Duo preorders will also be available at the Apple Store, Best Buy, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.

The foldable iPhone comes in the colors star white and night sky (navy). Models begin at $1,999 for a 256GB model, while the maxed-out 2TB model comes in at $3,199.

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Credit: Apple

iPhone Duo

$1,999

Preorders begin Friday, Oct. 16.

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How to buy the new iPhones

Buying an iPhone has historically been straightforward. You can either pay in full for the device through Apple or at your mobile retailer. Apple has also featured payment plans through its Apple Card, and most mobile carriers feature monthly payments rather than an upfront lump sum. While this remains true for the new iPhones, Apple has launched a new way to buy its phones.

With the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo, you can now lease both phones. Just like a car lease, you won't technically own the device, instead paying a monthly fee to use it. These leases from Apple span 24 months and let you upgrade your device at any point.

Leasing the iPhone 18 Pro begins at $34.99 a month, and the iPhone Duo begins at $57.99 a month.

Top phone deals this week

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Credit: Apple

iPhone 17

$0 at T-Mobile
$899 Save $899

Pay $0 at T-Mobile

Get Deal

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8

$1,899.99 at Samsung

 

Get Deal at Samsung Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at T-Mobile

Google Pixel 11 Pro

$1,015.93 at Amazon
$1,099 Save $83.07

 

Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Best Buy

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra AI Smartphone

Free Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra at AT&T With Trade-in and Unlimited Plan at AT&T Wireless

 

See It at AT&T Wireless See It at Amazon See It at Best Buy

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park.

Yoto has redesigned its Yoto Player and Yoto Mini screen-free speakers, adding a new button that lets kids access content without a physical Yoto Card. It looks like a handy upgrade for when you forget to pack their card collection on the family road trip.

Designed to be a more mentally stimulating alternative to screens, Yoto's robust speakers play kid-friendly stories, songs, and other audio when Yoto Cards are inserted. This gives children the freedom to decide what they want to listen to, while still ensuring they don't stumble across inappropriate content. However, you do have to trust your kids not to lose their favourite cards. While adults can still play content from lost cards via the Yoto App, doing so eliminates the element of independence.

Now Yoto has updated its speakers to offer a solution. Announced today, the 4th generation Yoto Player and Yoto Mini introduce a new customisable Green Button on the side of each speaker. Adults simply need to set it up via the Yoto App, programming the button with a child's favourite Yoto content, and the kid can play it back themselves with a simple twist and press — without inserting a Yoto Card.

Yoto states that its cards are still central to its system, and the primary way in which children engage with its speakers. However, the Green Button allows for more flexibility. Up to 20 pieces of content can be programmed to the Green Button at once, selected from Yoto's physical cards, digital-only cards, or any other audio available on the app. 

Credit: Yoto

The Green Button isn't the only change Yoto has made. Its 4th Gen speakers can now automatically transition to different content according to the time of day, offering gentle cues to help keep families on schedule. This not only applies to audio content such as sleep sounds at bedtime, but also includes their digital clock and the Yoto Player's night light. 

Both the Yoto Player and Yoto Mini have increased storage as well, doubling it from 32GB to 64GB. Yoto states that this is enough room for over 1000 hours of audio, which is more than 40 days.

The 4th Gen Yoto Player and Yoto Mini are available for pre-order from Sept. 11.

TL;DR: MyFitnessPal is giving four winners a year's worth of free groceries, about $7,500 each, through its new First Four Challenge. U.S. and Canada residents aged 18+ can enter by logging meals for four consecutive days between Sept. 10 and Oct. 9 and submitting their details at MyFitnessPal First Four starting Sept. 10.

Grocery prices aren't getting any friendlier, so when a free-groceries giveaway shows up, it's worth paying attention.

Starting Sept. 10, MyFitnessPal is giving four people a year's worth of free groceries, about $7,500 each, through a new promotion called the First Four Challenge. Here's everything you need to know to enter.

What is the First Four Challenge?

MyFitnessPal is giving away a total of $30,000 in groceries, split between four winners who'll each receive about $7,500 worth.

The challenge is built around a specific idea from the app's own user data: people who log their meals for at least four days in their first week are seven times more likely to make progress toward their weight loss goals. The company is essentially betting that four days is the tipping point for building a habit that sticks, and rewarding people willing to test that out.

How to enter

To be eligible, you need to be a U.S. or Canada resident, 18 or older. Between Sept. 10 and Oct. 9, log your meals in MyFitnessPal for four consecutive days, then submit your details at MyFitnessPal First Four, which goes live Sept. 10.

A year of free groceries is a real dent in anyone's budget, and four days of logging is a low bar to clear for a shot at it. Worst case, you walk away with a few days of tracked meals. Best case, you won't be paying for groceries next year.

TL; DR: Dreame officially launched its new Pocket Cake Dual Voltage Travel Hair Dryer on Amazon today for $129.99. Weighing just 0.73 lbs and folding down to the footprint of a smartphone, this travel-ready styling tool packs a high-speed motor at 110,000 RPM and dual-voltage support.

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Credit: Dreame

Dreame Pocket Cake Hair Dryer

$129.99 at Amazon

 

Get Deal

If you’ve ever relied on a hotel wall dryer that takes 20 minutes just to leave your hair a frizzy mess, Dreame’s newest styling tool wants to solve that travel nightmare. Officially launching today on Amazon for $129.99, the Dreame Pocket Cake is designed specifically to bring high-speed blowout power to gym bags, carry-ons, and tight bathroom counters without taking up precious luggage space.

Despite weighing only 0.73 pounds and folding into a compact form factor roughly the size of a smartphone, the Pocket Cake doesn't skimp on specs. A high-speed 110,000 RPM motor pushes airflow up to 70 m/s — fast enough to dry long hair in just about three minutes. It also features dual-voltage (120V/240V) support, so you won't blow a fuse or melt your styling tool when plugging it in overseas.

If you're worried about heat damage during quick daily touch-ups, Dreame built in smart sensors that check the air temperature 300 times per second. It caps the heat at a safe 134.6°F, so you get a fast dry without scorching your scalp. It also pumps out 350 million negative ions while you dry, which is the secret for smoothing out static and keeping flyaways under control.

You also get two magnetic snap-on attachments in the box: a concentrated styling nozzle for sleek, straight looks and a diffuser to pop out your natural waves and curls. It comes with a matching travel pouch in three dessert-inspired pastel shades: Peach Mochi, Lemon Parfait, and Mint Puff.

Upgrade your carry-on game and snag the new Dreame Pocket Cake on Amazon now.

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Remember those VH1 shows I Love the '80s and I Love the '90s, where talking heads would opine about defining pop culture moments like Pac-Man, General Hospital’s wedding of Luke and Laura, or the OJ Simpson car chase? There was no shortage of easily recognizable subjects to explore.

A version of I Love the 2020s seems less likely — and not just because of unlovable events like a pandemic and climate change. The monoculture that permeated the 20th century, in which a few TV networks, movie studios, record labels, and magazine editors decided what everyone saw, read, and obsessed over, has receded, largely because the internet has fractured audiences and altered viewing habits.

A mainstream culture still exists, though, at least according to a new culture and trends report commissioned by YouTube and released today. The trends report, titled "In Search of Mainstream" and created in partnership with the National Research Group, queried approximately 1,000 respondents aged 14-44 who described themselves as "active online." The participants were asked what they considered "mainstream" and how they encountered media that appealed to them.

It may not surprise many that YouTube’s findings reflect a fracturing of culture, with respondents’ familiarity with the top 10 most powerful entertainment brands sliding in the last six years. Similarly, young people are less aware of movies and TV shows and more knowledgeable about content creators they find on sites like TikTok and, yes, YouTube.

But while knowledge of Hollywood movies continues to slip among young people, fandom among those who are aware of them is growing, according to YouTube's research. In other words, while people may be gravitating to different options in this age of unlimited content, their attachment to their favorites is intensifying.

And that fandom is increasingly personal, according to YouTube, with 63 percent of online 14- to 44-year-olds who identify as fans agreeing with this statement: "I feel successful when the person or thing I'm a fan of experiences success."

The desire to be part of a monoculture remains

A striking aspect of the findings was that many respondents expressed a desire to be part of something bigger or more universal. “...63% agree that being into the same things as other people makes them feel part of something bigger," according to YouTube.

In that vein, many people are seeking out more personalized experiences online, with creators and communities that align with their interests, according to YouTube. So, while a teenager might not be aware that The Odyssey was coming to their local multiplex, they are actively seeking content (videos, podcasts, social media posts) about films they already know and love.

"Social connection is an important dynamic evolutionarily," Kevin Allocca, Global Director of Culture & Trends at YouTube, tells Mashable. "If you look at the hierarchy of needs, it’s really important. Fandom has always existed; we always found ways to feel connected to things, but we would never have to say it before because we weren’t living in an environment where it was possible to actually have so many individualized experiences. That's part of the time that we're in."

How do you define mainstream?

For YouTube and NRG, mainstream is the sweet spot of visibility, comprehension, and understanding — when something is "seen everywhere, actively engaged with, and understood across audiences."

Participation is a key factor in breaking through to the mainstream, according to YouTube. When people share memes, record podcasts, or film videos about subjects — everything from sports events like the World Cup to content creators like Mr. Beast — it gives them more credence. According to the trends survey, 65 percent of 14- to 44-year-olds agree that something feels more real or legitimate when they see it show up on YouTube.

Backrooms to the front

In its release on the study, YouTube highlights the case of Backrooms, one of the year’s biggest blockbusters. What started as an eerie photograph turned into an urban legend of abandoned, liminal spaces thanks to online forums, fan art, and YouTube videos that generated 15 billion YouTube views.

Backrooms moved towards critical mass when online creator Kane Parsons adapted the mythology into a series of found-footage films, which then became a full-length movie Parsons himself directed. At 19 years old, Parsons became the youngest director to top the global box office. Talk about mainstream.

TL;DR: The Samsung 34-inch Odyssey G5 ultra-wide gaming monitor is on sale for $279.99 at Amazon, down from its $399.99 list price.

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Credit: Samsung

Samsung 34-inch Odyssey G5

$279.99 at Amazon
$399.99 Save $120

Get Deal

If you want more room for games without setting up two separate monitors, Samsung’s 34-inch take on the Odyssey G5 is back under $300 at Amazon. The ultra-wide variant gives you a much broader 21:9 display than a regular gaming monitor, along with a deep curve and a refresh rate that still reaches well beyond 144Hz. 

As of Sept. 10, this specific 34-inch model of the Samsung Odyssey G5 (G55T) is $279.99 at Amazon, down by $120 from its $399.99 list price as part of a limited-time deal. That comes to a 30% saving, with Amazon selling and shipping the monitor directly — free 30-day returns also being included.

The extra width is probably the main reason to pick this version over the smaller Odyssey G5 models like the 27-inch G5.  

The 34-inch VA panel with a 3440x1440 Ultra-WQHD resolution and 21:9 aspect ratio grants you more horizontal space for racing games like Forza Horizon 5, RPGs in the realm of Baldurs Gate 3, or just having other windows open alongside whatever you’re playing.

Samsung also uses a 1,000R curve for this particular version, which bends the screen much further around your viewing position than a flatter display. Despite the larger size, the G5 still offers a 165Hz refresh rate and 1ms MPRT response time, so fast-moving games shouldn’t feel sluggish. 

A favorite usual feature of ours that we’ve seen more among Samsung monitors, too — AMD FreeSync Premium is supported for reducing tearing and stutter, with low frame-rate compensation also included. That’s along with HDR10 adding a little more range to brighter and darker areas of the picture, while HDMI and DisplayPort cover all the main connections you’re likely to need.

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Apple has announced the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, bringing upgraded health sensors, continuous heart-rate sampling and new AI-powered features. CNET's Vanessa Hand Orellana gives a first look at the new S11 chip, readiness tracking, ceramic models and battery life updates.

Read more about Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4: Apple Watch Series 12 announced: What we know about release date, price, and features
Apple Watch Ultra 4 announced with no price increase, new features

Timecode chapters
00:00 Intro: Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 hands-on
00:22 Price breakdown and comparison
00:45 Upgraded performance: S11 chip and AI features
01:05 Audio intelligence and live rewind feature
02:12 Redesigned health sensors and continuous heart rate tracking
02:58 New readiness score and health app overhaul
04:42 New ceramic and bronze finish options
05:00 Battery life and ultra extended workout mode
05:33 Final Thoughts: Are they worth the upgrade?

Video credits
Host: Vanessa Orellana
Scripted by: Vanessa Orellana
Producer: Numi Prasarn
Camera: Celso Bulgatti
Video editor: Dillon Payne
Thumbnail designer: Cole Kan

Apple announces its latest masterpiece - the iPhone Duo - and man, is it something else. CNET's Abrar Al-Heeti walks us through all the major features and things to know about this futuristic phone phenomenon.

Read more about the iPhone Duo: Here’s what the iPhone Duo actually looks like in people’s hands
The iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Z Fold 8: Which foldable has the edge?

Timecode chapters
00:00 Introduction to the foldable iPhone duo
00:11 Display specifications and matte screen finish
00:38 Camera setup and telephoto trade-offs
00:57 Dimensions and folding body
01:16 Apple Pencil support vs. Galaxy Z Fold
01:28 Touch ID authentication
01:36 Color options and titanium frame
01:44 Battery life expectations
02:05 Performance and A20 Pro chip
02:10 Dual-screen camera features
02:31 Pricing, preorders and availability

Video credits
Host: Abrar Al-Heeti
Scripted by: Abrar Al-Heeti
Producer: Celso Bulgatti
Camera: Celso Bulgatti
Video editor: Wes Ott
Thumbnail designer: Viva Tung

While singles might be staring down a bleak dating scene, they still believe in love, according to Match's latest Singles in America survey. From tradwives to AI, here's what singles said about the state of finding a lasting connection.

Singles have hope for love

Seventy-six percent of the 5,000 U.S. singles surveyed by Match between March and April 2026 believe romantic love can last forever. Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) believe some relationships are meant to be, and 61 percent believe there's a perfect match or soulmate for everyone.

Despite this, though, 45 percent aren't actively looking for a committed relationship — but would welcome one if the right person came along. Only 16 percent are actively seeking this type of partnership, while 72 percent are interested or open to dating or a relationship.

It does seem that singles are willing to branch out of their usual "types." Nearly half (49 percent) have fallen for someone they didn't initially find attractive. Among singles who've made a list of qualities they want in a partner, 46 percent fell for someone who didn't fit it.

"There's an interesting tension in the data: singles today have clear expectations for a partner, but love still has the ability to surprise them," said Dr. Justin Garcia, executive director of the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University. Kinsey partnered with Match for the survey. "Knowing what matters to you doesn't mean knowing exactly who you'll fall for."

When do you know it's serious?

Match and Kinsey asked participants what signals that a potential partner is serious about them — no games, no ghosting, no playing hard-to-get. The biggest answer, which over half selected (56 percent), is that they make time for you. Next up was clearly paying attention to what you've said or engaging in active listening, which 52 percent selected. Still high on the list are being willing to talk about their feelings towards you at 47 percent, and giving physical affection, like holding hands, at 41 percent.

What about removing social media from one's phone? Twenty-seven percent. Paying for a date, which is a "non-negotiable" for some TikTokkers? Just 19 percent. It seems like a physical and emotional connection and quality time matter more to daters when it comes to finding a "real" relationship.

The impact of tradwife content

Around a third (37 percent) of participants stated they've seen an increased in content about "traditional" dating trends and lifestyles, such as tradwife content. But 41 percent said no, and 22 percent were unsure.

And only 21 percent stated that social media has influenced their preferences around gender roles in romantic relationships. A participant's age and experience in past relationships had bigger impacts (41 percent and 38 percent selected these, respectively).

The dominant answer when it comes to "traditional gender roles" in relationships (the survey uses the example of men handling finances and women managing household tasks) is a preference for more modern, flexible roles (44 percent). Around the same number of people either prefer traditional roles (28 percent) or have no strong preference either way (27 percent).

Money moves are important

At a time when inflation is outpacing salaries, money matters. Eighty-nine percent of participants agree that both partners should share financial decisions equally. Seventy-one percent say being open about money builds trust in a relationship, too, leading Match to conclude that "compatibility extends to money." Around the same number of people, 70 percent, are open to signing a prenup or similar agreement.

And just over half (56 percent) believe they can still fall in love with someone who views finances and spending differently than they do, so it's not a total dealbreaker.

AI is less of a dealbreaker

Last year's Singles in America survey was focused on AI, with the number of singles using AI to date up 300 percent.

This year, half of singles said they wouldn't use AI for dating in the future, and 37 percent said they didn't think AI could be helpful for early dating at all. At the same time, 37 percent said they wouldn't consider the use of AI to be a dealbreaker.

But, compared to last year, fewer people consider using AI to alter their image or profile photo to be a dealbreaker: 34 percent this year compared to 44 percent last year. In 2025, 36 percent considered it a dealbreaker to use AI to generate conversations. Now, around 30 percent said it's a dealbreaker to use AI to help with all their dating app conversations.

Around two-thirds (66 percent) believe that AI can't replace human connection (in a way that people would stop needing or wanting connection with other humans in favor of connections with AI). And nearly half (47 percent) don't believe AI could help improve human connection.

So, it seems singles are torn about using AI in dating and AI companions. But when it comes to finding love overall, it's more unanimous that some things are just meant to be.

Apple announces the AirPods 5 in two distinct versions, both featuring 50% more effective active noise canceling and lower prices than previous models. In this video, we break down the key differences between the base and step-up models, including battery life, swipe controls and acoustic upgrades.

Read more about Apple’s new AirPods 5: Apple announces two new AirPods 5 models at iPhone launch event
How to preorder the 2 new AirPods 5 models

Timecode chapters
00:00 Introduction and pricing overview
00:14 Step-up vs. base model differences
00:21 Battery life breakdown
00:27 Design, sound quality and ANC improvements
00:43 H2 chip and conclusion

Video credits
Host: David Carnoy
Scripted by: David Carnoy
Producer: Celso Bulgatti
Camera: Celso Bulgatti
Video editor: Jon Gomez
Thumbnail designer: Zooey Liao

SAVE $20: As of Sept. 10, the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro earbuds are on sale for $149.99 at Amazon. Compared to their full price of $169.99, that's a $20 discount.

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Credit: Soundcore

Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro by Anker Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds

$149.99 at Amazon
$169.99 Save $20

 

Get Deal

Amazon has dropped a sweet deal on the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro earbuds, which were released just a few months ago, back in May. For a limited time, as of Sept. 10, shoppers can scoop up these noise-canceling buds for $20 off.

While these earbuds are normally priced at $169.99, Amazon's knocked them down to $149.99, though not for long. Each color, all on sale, has a 'limited time deal' tag, so you can choose between the standard black, pearl blue, pearl white, or rose gold models. So, if one pair catches your eye, you'll want to make a move on it fast before the deal is gone.

In our first impressions piece on these earbuds, Mashable's Bethany Allard wrote that "the mic performance is no joke" thanks to the new THUS AI chip, and that noise cancellation worked very well. Allard added that, "these earbuds have eight microphones that work together with the THUS chip to provide the best possible noise cancellation. The result is impressive, especially considering their $169.99 price point."

It comes with a cool charging case as well, which features a smart display that lets you control various earbud functions and check their battery life. Allard noted that "Despite the small screen, this was a surprisingly convenient way to use the earbuds — especially when pairing them to new devices."

Since they're listed as limited-time deals, they may not be on sale for long. Act fast to save on the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro earbuds at Amazon while they're still discounted.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

Top tech editors share their thoughts and questions about the new iPhone Duo foldable phone. Watch PCMag's Iyaz Akhtar, CNET's Scott Stein and Bridget Carey, Mashable's Timothy Beck Werth and ZDNET's Nina Raemont as they break down all the news and devices announced at Apple's September iPhone 18 event.

Read more about Apple’s iPhone 18 event and its new devices: Apple Event 2026 recap: Everything announced, including foldable iPhone Duo
Here’s what the iPhone Duo actually looks like in people’s hands
The iPhone 18 Pro costs more — and your old iPhone is worth less

Timecode chapters
00:00 Apple event opening and event expectations
02:15 iPhone duo keynote reveal and initial impressions
05:10 iPhone duo design: foldable display and hinge mechanics
08:45 Inner vs. outer screens: passport size and aspect ratios
11:30 Under-display camera tech and crease test breakdown
14:20 Apple Pencil support and new dock UI
17:05 Performance: A20 Pro chip, RAM and eSIM battery gains
20:40 Touch ID return and biometric security options
23:15 iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Variable aperture camera system
26:50 iPhone 18 Pro battery life and 15-minute fast charging
29:30 Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4: Longevity and health metrics
32:10 AirPods 5 updates and live translation features
35:40 Pricing breakdown, preorders and value analysis
38:15 Final verdict and which device you should buy

Video credits
Hosts: Bridget Carey and Iyaz Akhtar
Panelists: Patrick Holland, Abrar Al-Heeti, Nina Raemont and Timothy Beck Werth
Producer: Stephen Beacham
Co-producer: Vidisha Yadav
Camera: Carly Marsh
Thumbnail designer: Tharon Green

TL;DR: At IFA 2026, TCL expanded its lineup with two flush-mounted Designer Series TV lines running Google TV: the A300L 4K QLED and the A400U 4K QD-Mini LED (both starting at $799.99). Both models sit just 1.1 inches off the wall and include a flush wall mount in the box, and double as digital art galleries.

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Credit: TCL

TCL A300L 4K QLED Designer Series

Starting from $799.99

Shop Now

Opens in a new window

Credit: TCL

TCL A400U 4K QD-Mini LED Designer Series

Starting from $799.99

Shop Now

TCL is aiming straight at Samsung's home decor dominance with a fresh double-barrel expansion to its flush-mounted lineup. Running Google TV, the new A300L 4K QLED and A400U 4K QD-Mini LED both sit flat against your drywall at just 1.1 inches deep.

They feature an ultra-matte, anti-glare screen engineered to minimize reflections, so that displayed digital art resembles printed canvas. The TVs include a dedicated flush wall mount right in the box, alongside a curated Art Library, AI art generation, and personal photo modes to keep your living room looking sharp when you're not streaming.

Built for viewers who want a display that handles gaming and fast motion just as well as decor, the A300L 4K QLED delivers a native 144Hz refresh rate, Motion Rate 480 processing, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and four HDMI ports with eARC.

Audio is powered by a built-in 20W Onkyo system supporting Dolby Atmos. It comes out of the box with an off-white bezel plus a light-wood magnetic frame that snaps on in seconds to match your furniture.

It is available in 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch sizes, with the 85-inch option landing soon.

For those who refuse to compromise on picture depth, the A400U 4K QD-Mini LED steps up to TCL's Halo Control System and Local Dimming Pro+. It combines a high-contrast HVA panel with a 23-bit backlight controller to eliminate haloing around bright objects.

Besides its ultra-thin art profile and reflection-cutting matte finish, you get a 144Hz native panel, Game Accelerator 288 for low-lag gaming, and dedicated 4K/144Hz inputs on HDMI 1 and 2. Audio also gains DTS:X passthrough alongside Dolby Atmos, making it a true flagship display disguised as living room decor.

It is available in 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch configurations.

Head over to TCL or Amazon to check out the new A300L and A400U Designer Series as they land at US retailers.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

Apple's September event unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max specifically designed for Apple Intelligence with new camera features, the new Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 with advanced health tracking features and the hotly anticipated folding iPhone, officially called the iPhone Duo. Get all the highlights from Apple's event in less than 14 minutes.

Read more about Apple’s September event: Apple Event 2026: Live updates on folding iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, and new AirPods
iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max: Everything Apple changed

Timecode chapters
00:00 Apple Intelligence overview
00:56 iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max announcement
02:20 A20 Pro chip and thermal management
02:52 Battery life and faster charging
03:29 Camera system and variable aperture
04:35 iPhone 18 Pro pricing and availability
04:51 AirPods 5 launch
05:52 Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4
07:13 Audio Intelligence and Siri recap
08:08 Apple Watch finishes and battery stats
08:54 iPhone duo reveal
09:58 iPhone duo displays and Apple Pencil support
11:06 iPhone duo multitasking and nano-texture display
12:25 iPhone duo camera and smart take
13:13 iPhone duo pricing and release date

Video credits
Producer: Owen Poole
Video Editor: Owen Poole
Thumbnail designer: Tharon Green

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG’s Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box is on sale for $77.98 at Amazon, down from its $119.99 list price.

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Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box

$77.98 at Amazon
$119.99 Save $42.01

 

Get Deal

Prices have been hopping up and down when it comes to the Pokémon TCG’s Pitch Black expansion, but it looks like the sub-$80 range is becoming the norm for its ETB while stocks last. 

As of Sept. 10, the Pokémon TCG: Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box is ready to buy for as low as $77.98 at Amazon. 

That knocks $42.01 off the $119.99 list price, translating to a 35% saving. The default listing, sold and shipped directly by Amazon (free delivery currently estimated for Sept. 15, or Sept. 13 for Prime members), currently has 10 units left at the time of writing; however, third-party seller ‘shopnav’ has dropped its own to the same price.

Amazon isn’t quite at TCGplayer pricing, although there’s now less than $6 separating its deal from the trading card marketplace’s $72.30 estimated market value. That said, buying from TCGplayer listings can save you even more money, with the lowest now at $72.99, including shipping, putting it $4.99 below Amazon.

No matter who you buy this Pitch Black box from, you’re getting nine Pitch Black booster packs of trading cards inside the ETB, alongside a full-art foil Zarude promo card, 65 card sleeves, 40 Energy cards, and a player’s guide. That’s along with six damage-counter dice, a competition-legal coin-flip die, a plastic coin, dividers, a collector’s box, and a Pokémon TCG Live code card. 

At $77.98, the boosters alone average roughly $8.66 apiece — saving you 29 cents per pack compared to buying single Pitch Black boosters for $8.95, before accounting for the accessories or promo. 

Belkin IFA 2026 accessories

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SureFind Spot Tracker

$14.99

Shop Now

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SureFind Loop Cable Tag

$24.99 USD

Learn More

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Compact Magnetic Ring Stand

$24.99

Learn More

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SureFind Bluetooth Tracker Card

$26.99

Shop Now

---

BoostCharge Compact USB-C 30W Charger

$26.99

Shop Now

---

SureFind Wallet Stand

$39.99

Learn More

---

UltraCharge 11K Power Bank

$59.99

Shop Now

---

UltraCharge 22K Power Bank

$99.99

Shop Now

At IFA 2026 in Berlin, Belkin rolled out a massive suite of connected accessories aimed at fixing the annoying parts of living with everyday tech. Instead of just churning out boring charging bricks, the brand put serious thought into usability.

That means retractable cables built right into high-power portable batteries, item trackers that work on both iPhone and Android networks, and fast chargers styled to match Apple's newest laptops. Best of all, prices start at just $14.99.

UltraCharge Power Banks

Built for anyone tired of fishing loose cords out of their backpack, the UltraCharge Smart Display line features a 70cm retractable USB-C cable that snaps clean into the housing. You also get a digital screen that shows battery percentage, wattage, and heat levels in real-time.

The UltraCharge 11K gives you 11,000mAh with 60W fast charging — enough to boost an iPhone 17 halfway in 24 minutes — while the UltraCharge 22K steps up to a huge 22,000mAh battery with 120W combined output to keep laptops running anywhere.

SureFind Trackers

If you constantly lose your keys or wallet, Belkin has also dropped its new SureFind tracking tag collection. Unlike standard AirTags, these work on both Apple Find My and Google Find Hub, making them perfect for split-tech households.

You can grab the coin-style SureFind Spot for everyday items, or step up to the waterproof, ultra-slim SureFind Card for your wallet. There's even a SureFind Loop Cable Tag that doubles as a charging cord, arriving this month, and a SureFind Wallet Stand packed with RFID blocking and a built-in kickstand, arriving in October.

Ring Stands & Wall Plugs

Belkin didn't forget about quick phone setups on the go, either. The Compact Magnetic Ring Stand uses strong magnets and a clever vacuum base to hold your iPhone, Pixel, or Galaxy phone to airplane tray tables or bathroom mirrors for easy viewing — and officially lands this November.

To top it off, Belkin refreshed its popular BoostCharge 30W Wall Charger with a matching 2m braided cable in Citrus, Blush, Indigo, and Silver finishes designed specifically to pair with the latest MacBook Neo shades.

Not everything is hitting shelves at the same time, but you can head over to Belkin or Amazon to browse the lineup and grab the first wave as it rolls out this fall.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Booster Pack Lot is on sale for $79.99 at Amazon, down from its $109.99 list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Booster Pack Lot

$79.99 at Amazon
$109.99 Save $30

 

Get Deal

Buying Pokémon TCG boosters one at a time can quickly get expensive, especially for slightly older expansions as newer ones come out. So, this surprise Amazon discount makes Mega Evolution a great collection of cards to stock up on if you’ve been missing out.

As of Sept. 10, the Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Booster Pack Lot is $79.99 at Amazon, taking exactly $30 off its $109.99 list price for a 27% saving. The offer comes from third-party seller USTOYS, with free delivery currently estimated for Sept. 18. Amazon also marks this as the lowest price in the past 30 days. However, only 15 were shown as remaining when we checked. 

There is another $79.99 Amazon listing through BTran Collectables if you want it a little sooner, with delivery slated for Sept. 15 to 17. Alternatively, J & M Collectibles has an $89.95 option that ships directly from Amazon and is scheduled to arrive Sept. 15 — a solid backup if both of the cheaper $80 deals sell out.

Across all eight boosters, you’re getting 80 Pokémon trading cards in total, bringing the discounted bundle to essentially $9.99 per pack. With that, you’ll save a whole $5.21 per pack compared to buying Mega Evolution packs individually, which are currently $15.20 each (including delivery).

As for what you could pull, the Mega Evolution expansion includes 10 Mega Evolution Pokémon ex, 22 illustration rare Pokémon, 22 ultra rare Mega Evolution Pokémon ex and Trainer cards, plus 10 special illustration rare Mega Evolution Pokémon ex and Supporter cards. 

Among the most valuable chase cards you can still pull right now, Mega Evolution boasts some big hits — including MHR Mega Lucario ex, MHR Mega Gardevoir ex, and SIR Mega Gardevoir ex — worth up to $250. Each Pokémon TCG card from the Mega Evolution expansion is available to buy individually at TCGplayer. 

Trump held a big midterm convention on Wednesday, but many Republicans apparently had to miss out.

In the Daily Show clip above Michael Kosta gleefully recaps the various excuses given, from Rep. Mike Flood saying his son has a high school football game ("Oh yeah, classic mid-week high school football game," says Kosta, "That's why they call it Wednesday night lights") to Rep. Rich McCormick's son getting married in Greece ("Look son, I need you to get married in Greece this week," Kosta says. "I know you don't love her, but this is important.").

The highlight? House Appropriations chair Tom Cole apparently not being able to go due to a "can't-miss dove hunting event."

"Well yeah!" says Kosta. "You can't miss dove hunting. Eat lead, symbol of peace!"

SAVE $20: As of Sept. 10, every color of the Ninja FrostVault Go soft backpack coolers at Amazon has dipped below $180, making for $20 in overall savings compared to their $199.99 list price.

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Credit: Ninja

Ninja FrostVault Go Soft Backpack Cooler, Charcoal Gray

$179.49 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $20.50

 

Get Deal

If you're looking forward to camping trips or outdoor excursions this fall but don't want to drag around a wheeled cooler for your drinks and food, the Ninja FrostVault Go soft backpack cooler is worth considering. As of Sept. 10, every color is on sale at Amazon as well (even after Labor Day!), so it's a perfect time to look into it.

The cheapest of the colors, though not by a massive amount, is the charcoal gray backpack cooler, discounted to $179.49. The lakeshore blue variant closely follows it at $179.95, while the remaining colors are all priced at $179.99. Compared to their full price of $199.99, this is roughly $20 in savings on each, which isn't too bad at all.

The main appeal of this cooler is that it's a backpack. It features a padded back panel and backpack straps that make carrying it around nice and easy as you move from place to place. It can hold quite a lot as well: up to 24 cans without ice, or up to 16 with ice. Plus, it has a very helpful built-in Cold Dry Zone for your food, so it stays dry and separate from the drinks you've packed.

Another cool feature is a built-in bottle-opener attachment. So if you accidentally forgot to bring one, this backpack has you covered.

As we get further away from Labor Day, these deals may not be live for very long. Be quick to scoop up your preferred color of Ninja FrostVault Go soft backpack cooler while it's still on sale.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

TL;DR: Belkin revealed its UltraCharge Pro series using semi-solid-state battery tech for slimmer, longer-lasting portable power. The lineup includes the 8.8mm-thin UltraCharge Pro Slim Magnetic Power Bank ($69.99) and the UltraCharge Pro Power Bank with Display ($89.99).

Opens in a new window

Credit: Belkin

Belkin UltraCharge Pro Slim 5000mAh Semi-Solid-State Power Bank

$69.99 at Amazon

 

Shop Now

Opens in a new window

Credit: Belkin

Belkin UltraCharge Pro 10000mah Power Bank

$89.99 at Amazon

 

Shop Now

Carrying a portable charger usually means dealing with a heavy brick in your pocket or bag. Belkin is trying to fix that with its latest drop from IFA 2026. The tech accessory company revealed its UltraCharge Pro series, which uses semi-solid-state battery tech for slimmer, longer-lasting portable power. The lineup includes the UltraCharge Pro Slim Magnetic Power Bank ($69.99) and the UltraCharge Pro Power Bank with Display ($89.99).

Instead of standard liquid-cell batteries, Belkin added a gel-like layer to the battery setup. That simple tweak allows the chargers to stay lightweight, last up to three times longer, and handle heat much better — so you do not have to worry about overheating or battery swelling down the road.

UltraCharge Pro Slim Magnetic Power Bank 5K

If you want a power bank that snaps onto your phone without turning it into a brick, this is the one. The UltraCharge Pro Slim Magnetic Power Bank packs a 5,000mAh battery into an 8.8mm body — which is roughly 40% thinner than standard 5K chargers.

Credit: Belkin

Credit: Belkin

• Fast wireless charging — Delivers up to 15W of cable-free power using Qi2 magnetic tech.

• Wired option — Has a USB-C port that puts out up to 22.5W if you want a faster, plugged-in charge.

• Dual device support — You can charge two things at once — one wirelessly and one through the USB-C port.

• Pass-through charging — Plug it into the wall, and it will charge your phone wirelessly at up to 7.5W while topping itself up.

• Built to last — Uses Belkin’s semi-solid BoostSolid Cell tech, which gives it 3x longer lifespan and better heat management, so it does not degrade quickly.

UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 10K

This one is built for heavier power needs or multiple phone charges. Despite packing a 10,000mAh capacity, it is 27% smaller than the average 10K power banks.

Credit: Belkin

Credit: Belkin

• Serious speed — The main USB-C port delivers up to 60W, enough to fast-charge laptops, tablets, and phones.

• Three-port setup — Features two USB-C ports and one USB-A port, letting you charge up to three devices at the same time.

• Smart display — Shows real-time battery status, charging output, and wattage so you always know what is happening.

• Fast recharge — Supports 40W USB-C input, so the power bank recharges quickly when plugged into a wall outlet.

• Advanced protection — Monitors internal temperatures every 20 milliseconds to keep things running cool and safe.

Both models are now available at Belkin and Amazon, so you can pick whichever best fits your charging setup.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

SAVE $200: As of Sept. 10, the Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 robot vacuum and mop is on sale for $499.99 at Amazon. That's $200 off its full price of $699.99.

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Credit: Dreame

Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 Robot Vacuum and Mop

$499.99 at Amazon
$699.99 Save $200

 

Get Deal

Robot vacuums saw some great discounts during Labor Day, and while those sales have mostly ended, there are still a few deals on these helpful cleaners lingering. The Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 robot vacuum and mop is holding on at Amazon with a $200 price cut, though not for long.

As of Sept. 10, the Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 is on sale for $499.99 at the retailer, which is a nice drop from its full price of $699.99. However, there's a countdown on the store page indicating this offer is only available through the end of today. So, if it's caught your attention, time is running out to grab it at this lower price.

Now that fall weather has arrived, and people are keeping warm indoors more often, this Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 combo cleaner can help keep your floors clean and tidy. When vacuuming, its 25,000Pa suction can lift dust, hair, and dirt from carpets or off hard surfaces. And when mopping for the latter, the DuoScrub Mopping System uses two high-speed rotary mops to scrub out stains.

This combo cleaner can even extend a brush and mop to reach tricky corners or underneath furniture. Plus, it maps out your home and avoids obstacles using Smart Pathfinder and 3DAdapt technology.

If you've been hoping to grab a robot vacuum to have for your fall cleaning, don't miss out on this last-chance deal on the Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 robot vacuum and mop at Amazon.

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AI-related news has shifted from depressing to deeply disturbing recently, with an Anthropic researcher quitting the company and stating that he believes artificial intelligence "could kill us all by the end of the decade" — a statement that seemed to be reinforced (unintentionally) by an Anthropic spokesperson.

In the clip above, Jimmy Kimmel is shocked that the news isn't bigger.

"You know I always thought these big companies were willing to destroy the planet for profit because it didn't affect them personally," the host says. "The end of all human life, that's pretty personal. That's about as personal as it gets. And I will say in times like these, that's when I'm very grateful we have a president who is on top of this stuff."

Cue a clip of Trump waving off a question from a reporter about a AI potentially turning on humanity, casually saying "It's gonna be fine, we'll always have something to stop them."

"Meh, no problem," says Kimmel. "Maybe that's why he doesn't care about the future of the country: He knows we don't have one."

SAVE $100: As of Sept. 10, the Amazon eero Pro 7 is on sale at Amazon for $699.99. That's a 13% discount on the list price.

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Credit: Amazon

Amazon eero Pro 7

$699.99 at Amazn
$799.99 Save $100

 

Get Deal

Struggling with patchy WiFi around your home? The Amazon eero Pro 7 is designed to keep your connection fast and reliable across multiple rooms, with a mesh setup that can help eliminate dead zones. And as of Sept. 10, it's on sale at Amazon for $100 off the list price. Normally $799.99, you can now upgrade your WiFi setup for $699.99.

If you're not familiar with a mesh WiFi setup, it's essentially a main router paired with extra boosters placed around your home to extend WiFi coverage. This is the three-pack, so you get the main router plus two additional devices to help keep your connection strong in different rooms.

The eero Pro 7 supports internet plans up to 5 Gbps, with two auto-sensing 5 GbE ports and wireless speeds of up to 3.9 Gbps. The three-pack model can cover up to 6,000 sq ft and support more than 600 devices. Plus, it has WiFi 7 features such as Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which will help give you all-around faster speeds.

It's also backward compatible with previous generations of eero and with some Amazon Echo devices with eero built in.

Get this router deal at Amazon now.

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Yoto is getting a makeover.

Available for preorder as of Sept. 10, the popular kids’ audio players have received an upgrade in the form of enhanced tech specs, new chipsets, a bigger nightlight, and an overall design evolution that includes some cool new features that both kids and parents will love.

“We've re-engineered the entire product from the ground up,” Yoto co-founder and CEO Ben Drury told Mashable. “It's actually finally the product that we wanted to create in the first place.”

Credit: Yoto

The 4th generation of the Yoto Player and the Yoto Mini include the introduction of the brand new Green Button. Located on the side of each device, this button will allow kids to access a host of downloaded audio stored locally on the player — no WiFi or Yoto Card necessary.

Once their grown-up puts it onto the player, they can rifle through tracks on their own. Devices will contain two playlists of up to 20 titles, putting even more power into their sticky little fingers.

Part of the retooling also includes faster download times, better connectivity, and up to 1,000 hours of storage (64GB) for each device.

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Credit: Yoto

Yoto Player (4th Generation)

$149.99 at Yoto

 

Pre-order Here

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Credit: Yoto

Yoto Mini (4th Generation)

$109.99 at Yoto

 

Pre-order Here

While any parent will tell you that it’s what’s on the inside that counts, each Yoto is getting a spiffed-up look on the outside too. The audio players have softened their edges, with a more rounded, friendlier aesthetic that is sure to appeal to kids while still looking great on the shelf.

With these design shifts, the Yoto will outgrow the previous generation of silicone Adventure Jackets, though we're told these will get an overhaul in the near future as well. Wireless docks and travel cases will remain compatible.

The new Yoto Mini will retail for $109.99 and is expected to start shipping as of Sept. 30, while the Yoto Player will retail for $149.99 and is expected as of Oct. 15.

Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each streamer!

Don't be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We've got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you're seeking something brand new (or just new to streaming), we've got you covered there, too.

14. Untold Mr. T: I Pity the Fool

Do you actually know the story of Mr. T? The A-Team legend otherwise known as Laurence Tureaud gets his own Netflix documentary, tracking his career through professional wrestling, his iconic roles on screen including Clubber Lang in Rocky III and instantly recognisable A-Teamer B.A. Baracus, as well as his Chicago childhood, with plenty of interviews with special guests and Mr. T himself.

However, it seems Mr. T doesn't love the result. "The documentary pissed me off, because they didn't cover a lot of stuff. When I saw it, I was like: 'What the heck?' It's garbage. You build me up, then you try to punk me out. I said: 'Wow man, I'm more than that,'" he told the Guardian. "That’s what we call, in the Black community, a white man wanting to change the story and control the narrative. If you don't know me, you’re gonna think I’m some monster." — Shannon Connellan, Senior Editor

How to watch: Untold Mr. T: I Pity the Fool is now streaming on Netflix.

13. A Killer Story

From One Night in Idaho: The College Murders director Matthew Galkin comes HBO's latest true crime series, which takes on the decades-long case of Dana Chandler, convicted for a 2002 double homicide in Topeka, Kansas. Notably, it's a case that preceded social media storms around true crime and armchair detectives posting online, with citizen sleuth Eileen Umbehr and her husband Keen devoting their lives to investigating the crime Chandler was charged for. Filmed over six years, A Killer Story sees former New York Times and ProPublica journalist Joe Sexton drawn into the case by Umbehr, as the series examines the trials, evidence, and finer details associated with the case. — S.C.

How to watch: A Killer Story is streaming on HBO Max Sept. 10.

12. Moana

Disney continues to make live-action movies based on their beloved animated films with Moana. And this is certainly one of Disney's cash-grabbing remakes.

In my review, I wrote, "Aside from my general grievance about the lack of innovation in Disney's menagerie of live-action remakes, Moana has a strangely false quality to it. The cast — led by 19-year-old Catherine Laga'aia — gives performances that feel straight out of a Disney Channel show. They're bouncy and broad in a way that made me expect the cheer of a pre-recorded studio audience to break in."

While director Thomas Kail and his ensemble aim to recreate the original film with care, the artifice of CGI backdrops and Dwayne Johnson's eyesore of a Maui costume is ruinous. "The result is a film that misses the point of its protagonist's journey. Rather than going somewhere new, Kail and company avoid discovery, opting instead to approximate popular IP. And in that way, it feels like AI. It does not feel like an earnest, human expression, but rather a shallow approximation that might have the general look but misses the soul of the original work." — K.P.

Starring: Catherine Laga'aia, Dwayne Johnson, John Tui, Frankie Adams, and Rena Owen

How to watch: Moana is now available to rent or buy.

11. Call My Agent! The Movie

After four seasons, beloved French comedy series Call My Agent! wrapped in 2020. Now, directed by Émilie Noblet and written by Call My Agent! creator Fanny Herrero with Lison Daniel, Call My Agent! The Movie reconnects with the illustrious ASK talent agency.

Andréa (Camille Cottin) is directing her first feature. Noémie (Laure Calamy) is kicking goals producing reality TV. When the lead walks off Andréa's set, she'll need new blood — and a new producer. With Noémie and Andréa awkwardly reunited, the drama is high on set. So, they'll need help from the ASK crew — but grudges are hard to shake. — S.C.

Starring: Camille Cottin, Laure Calamy, Thibault de Montalembert, Grégory Montel, Nicolas Maury, Fanny Sidney, Liliane Rovère, Laetitia Casta, Vincent Macaigne, Ophélia Kolb, Anne Marivin and Laurent Lafitte.

How to watch: Call My Agent! The Movie is now streaming on Netflix.

10. One Night Only

Will Gluck's One Night Only has started many a conversation, with Monica Barbaro and Callum Turner starring as two people who meet on the world's annual day that unmarried people can have sex. As Mashable's Associate Features Editor Anna Iovine writes, "Rom-com One Night Only comes at a time of increased surveillance and policing of sexual expression on the internet. And in the movie, totalitarianism is played for laughs." See it for yourself, then get reading. — S.C.

Starring: Monica Barbaro, Callum Turner, Molly Ringwald, LeVar Burton, Maya Hawke, Julia Fox, King Princess, Ben Marshall, Ziwe, Ella Loudon

How to watch: One Night Only is now available to rent or buy.

9. Crew Girl

Row, row, row your boat over to Netflix to check out Crew Girl, the streamer's latest YA romance.

Crew Girl introduces talented rower Teagan Tao (Miku Martineau). After a family scandal blows up her life, it's off to a new school for a new beginning. But the prestigious Easton Prep doesn't have a women's rowing team for her to join. Instead, she'll become the coxswain for the men's team, calling the shots from the front of the boat. As she takes on this new challenge, she'll become embroiled in — what else? — a love triangle involving two team members. Promising sporty, soapy romance, Crew Girl seems like the perfect next watch for anyone who devoured Off Campus in one sitting.* — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Starring: Miku Martineau, Kyle Clark, Jessica Paré, Thomas Cadrot, and Sam Braun

How to watch: Crew Girl is now streaming on Netflix.

8. DANG!

Netflix's latest adult animated offering is family comedy Dang!, created by Hacks alum Andrew Law. The series centers on underachieving, unmotivated siblings Andrew and Eunice Dang (voiced by Law and Poppy Liu). When their high-powered lawyer sister Ruthie (voiced by Stephanie Hsu) tries to connect with them in New York, they panic over how much she'll lord her success over them. But turns out, she's screwed up big time. Now, the three siblings have to adjust to a new normal of being in the same city, and perhaps even being there for each other. What follows is an offbeat look at a family that isn't laugh-out-loud funny, but has the bones of being something great. — B.E.

Starring: Stephanie Hsu, Poppy Liu, and Andrew Law

How to watch: DANG! is now streaming on Netflix.

7. Fan Level Midnight: Devoted to the Office

It's a big week for fans of The Office. Not only does The Office spin-off The Paper return for a second season, but Peacock is also releasing Fan Level Midnight: Devoted to the Office. This new docuseries centers on the show's devoted fandom, and how it endures well over a decade after we said goodbye to Dunder Mifflin. On top of featuring interviews from the team behind The Office, Fan Level Midnight also takes it directly to the fans, speaking with everyone from actors in The Office musical parodies to a mechanic who used the show's "Stayin' Alive" CPR scene to save a life. — B.E.

Starring: Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, Ed Helms, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, Greg Daniels, Angela Kinsey, Phyllis Smith, Leslie David Baker, Andy Buckley, Kevin Reilly, Will Ferrell, Paul Feig, and more.

How to watch: Fan Level Midnight: Devoted to the Office is now streaming on Peacock.

6. Minions & Monsters

The Minions have caused all kind of comical mayhem since they debuted in Despicable Me back in 2010. But their latest adventure is uniquely thrilling for cinephiles as it lets these lovable critters loose in 1920s Hollywood, where they're searching for monsters to make a movie of their own.

This means a lot of allusions to cinema on top of the Minions' signature silliness. So whether you love slapstick, goofy gibberish, or classic Hollywood icons, this comedy should satisfy.* — K.P.

Starring: Pierre Coffin, Trey Parker, Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz, Jesse Eisenberg, Jeff Bridges, Zoey Deutch, Bobby Moynihan, and Phil LaMarr

How to watch: Minions & Monsters is now available to rent or buy.

5. The Paper Season 2

Open up your copies of The Toledo Truth Teller, because The Paper is back for Season 2. The Office spin-off continues to highlight the struggles local journalists face, but this time, it's especially focused on the relationship between editor-in-chief Ned (Domhnall Gleeson) and reporter Mare (Chelsea Frei). Their Season 1 slow burn has officially caught flame, but the pair are struggling to keep their romance a secret from their coworkers.

While The Paper nails the yearning and sweetness of Ned and Mare's relationship, it devotes far less time to giving its ensemble rewarding arcs, and the show suffers for it. The result is an uneven, if still funny, season that leaves several characters in the dust. Seriously, justice for Nicole (Ramona Young)! — B.E.

Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Sabrina Impacciatore, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Tim Key, Ramona Young, Eric Rahill, Duane Shepard Sr., Alex Edelman, and Oscar Nuñez 

How to watch: The Paper Season 2 is now streaming on Peacock.

4. Last Seen

In the mood for a thriller this week? Then check out Apple TV's Australian offering Last Seen. Patrick Brammall (also starring in this week's Colin From Accounts Season 3) plays police dispatcher Ian Ridley, who's still grieving the disappearance of his young daughter Maggie. 11 years after she went missing, he receives a distressed call from a teenage girl he believes to be her, kicking off his desperate quest to find her again by any means necessary.

While fairly formulaic, Last Seen manages to hook you with its high-stakes family drama and its fair share of intriguing twists. At times propulsive, at others claustrophobic, it's a solid end-of-summer offering. — B.E.

Starring: Patrick Brammall, Brendan Cowell, Maxine Peake, Jessica Wren, Daniel Henshall, Chloe Jean Lourdes, Zahra Newman, Tobias Muhafidin

How to watch: The first two episodes of Last Seen are now streaming on Apple TV, with new episodes Wednesdays.

3. Supergirl

After bringing chaotic glee to the end of 2025's Superman, Milly Alcock reprised her role as Clark's hard-partying cousin Kara in director Craig Gillespie's Supergirl.

Based on the comic miniseries Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, the story follows the eponymous heroine as she chases down Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts), a multi-hyphenate of villainy who pillages, rapes, kidnaps, and murders people across space. In tow is a vengeance-seeking girl named Ruthye (Eve Ridley). Plus Aquaman's Jason Momoa is back in the DC Universe, this time as the bounty-hunting anti-hero Lobo.

Critics panned Supergirl. In my review, I wrote, "While I enjoyed myself, I was never really blown away by this superhero movie. I left pleased, but not in awe, not craving a chance to see it again immediately. Still, if Warner Bros. greenlit a sequel, I'd be game to give Kara and her crew another go."* — K.P.

Starring: Milly Alcock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, David Corenswet, and Jason Momoa

How to watch: Supergirl is now streaming on HBO Max.

2. Colin From Accounts Season 3

It's the final season for Australia's lauded Colin From Accounts, and we're sad to see it go. Created and written by husband-and-wife team Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer, who play leads Gordon and Ashley, the series has seen its dog-related car accident meet-cute start expand into a character-driven, romantic delight. — S.C.

Starring: Patrick Brammall, Harriet Dyer, Emma Harvie, Genevieve Hegney, Michael Logo, Helen Thomson, Darren Gilshenan, Virginia Gay, Annie Maynard, Celeste Barber, Justin Rosniak, Tai Hara, Thomas Cocquerel, Nikki Shiels, and Mark Trevorrow

How to watch: Colin From Accounts Season 3 is now streaming on Paramount+.

Best of streaming this week: Maddie's Secret

Comedian John Early makes his directorial debut in this campy love letter to melodrama. Early stars as Maddie Ralph, a rising food influencer with a troubling secret. Studded with comedians and performed with a disarming adoration for this misunderstood subgenre, Maddie's Secret is funny and surprisingly touching.

As I wrote in my review out of the Toronto International Film Festival, "John Early is brilliant and sly with Maddie's Secret. Remarkably, as a first-time feature director and star, Early manages the balance of comedy, drama, and empathy with aplomb."* — K.P.

Starring: John Early, Kate Berlant, Eric Rahill, Kristen Johnston, Claudia O'Doherty, Conner O'Malley, Vanessa Bayer, and Chris Bauer

How to watch: Maddie's Secret is now available to rent or buy.

(*) denotes a blurb came from a prior list.

Fall film festival season has begun! The Toronto International Film Festival kicks off today, boasting promising premieres, big stars, and indie gems ready to be discovered.

Mashable will be on the ground at TIFF, taking in the films that could have audiences cheering all the way to Oscar gold. We'll also be reporting on the new series that are making their world debuts on the big screens in Toronto's downtown venues. But you don't need to be here to get a feel for what's worth anticipating.

Ahead of opening night, Mashable's team has gathered together some of the most enticing films and TV shows that will be playing TIFF. And, wherever possible, we're informing you as to when, and how, you can see them for yourselves.

So whether you're at TIFF, making the tough decision of what to see in a sea of cinema options, or at home, wondering which of these festivals selects is worth marking your calendar for, we've got you covered.

Hope

You're not ready for Hope.

Written and directed by South Korean filmmaker Na Hong-jin (The Wailing), this sci-fi epic clocks in at 156 minutes, and they breeze by like the galloping monsters at its center, fast and ruthlessly violent.

Hwang Jung-min stars as a small-town sheriff who is looking into the bizarre slaughtering of a cow near the forest. Soon enough, he'll come face to face with the killer creature, but only after a barrage of building-shattering, bone-snapping action that makes up the film's first act. You won't believe what comes next, but spoilers: It's epic. — K.P.*

Starring: Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, Hoyeon, Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander, and Michael Fassbender

How to watch: Hope opens in theaters on Sept. 9, the same day it premieres at TIFF.

Julián

Julián wants to be a mermaid in "Julián." Credit: TIFF

Cartoon Saloon, the studio responsible for such outstanding animated films as The Secret of Kells, Wolfwalkers, and The Breadwinner, offers an enchanting adventure about a little boy who dreams of joining an annual New York City extravaganza.

Based on Jessica Love’s beloved children’s book Julián Is a Mermaid, Julián centers on a young Afro-Latino boy who's spending the summer with his Dominican-American abuela in Brooklyn. Once he learns about the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, he dreams of donning a long tail and jewelry and joining the ranks of self-made mermaids who'll flood the streets and waves. But getting his grandmother to understand this dream — and by extension, who her grandson is — isn't easy.

A heartwarming story of love and identity is told through joyful and gorgeous animation. Trust us, you won't want to miss Julián. — K.P.

Starring: Knyght Darius Jack, Milcania Diaz-Rojas, Lisa-Kaindé Diaz, and Naomi Diaz

How to watch: Following its North American Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Julián's release is TBD.

Back in Black

Jane Curtin and Christopher Walken co-star in "Back in Black." Credit: TIFF

One of the funnier movies hitting TIFF this year is Back in Black, a dark comedy co-written by Ron Murphy and Nick Torokvei, and helmed by the former.

Christopher Walken stars as a charismatic mortician whose family business is on the brink of death because no one in his cozy American town is dying. His cheerful wife, Autumn (Jane Curtin), urges him to hang in, confident a change of fortune will come their way. But their grown granddaughter Sam (Ella Ballentine) isn't waiting. With her handy screwdriver, she'll change her family's fates — and fatally interfere with several neighbors. The results are hilarious, but also joltingly macabre. — K.P.

Starring: Christopher Walken, Jane Curtin, and Ella Ballentine

How to watch: Following its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Back in Black's release is TBD.

Stuffed

Among my most anticipated movies at TIFF this year is Stuffed.

Killing Eve's Jodie Comer stars as Araminta, a taxidermist with a big, peculiar dream. She wants to stuff a human body, but consensually of course. Enter Pillion's Harry Melling as Bernie, a lonely man who longs to be a part of something special. They seem a perfect match for this project. But as they grow close, could their feelings for each other get in the way of the art?

Filmmaker Theo Rhys makes his directorial feature debut with Stuffed, adapting it from his award-winning short film of the same name. And that is why I'm so chuffed over Stuffed. I saw the short when it played SXSW back in 2021, and was part of the jury who awarded it a special jury prize. Because not only is this a story of death and romance with a dark comic sensibility, it's also a musical. I'm absolutely giddy to see how Rhys has expanded the concept, and with such a enticing cast. — K.P.

Starring: Jodie Comer and Harry Melling

How to watch: Following its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Stuffed's release is TBD.

Vintage Violence

Cole Sprouse and Kiko Mizuhara co-star in "Vintage Violence." Credit: TIFF

Vintage Violence sounds like a plot line straight out of Mad Libs.

Cole Sprouse stars as a content creator known for urban exploring. But once he happens upon a hidden cache of vintage denim, a follower seeking fortune and adventure (Kiko Mizuhara) urges him to travel to Japan to sell the jeans. This sparks a charming romance, but then the Yakuza gets involved. Much blood and violence will follow.

Writer/director Eugene Kotlyarenko's kinetic movie not only blends genres but also includes slide screens, video game sound effects, and a barrage of stimuli that reflect social media overload. All this makes Vintage Violence well-suited to TIFF's Midnight slate. — K.P.

Starring: Cole Sprouse, Kiko Mizuhara, Nijiro Murakami, Pierre Taki, and Hio Miyazawa

How to watch: Following its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Vintage Violence's release is TBD.

Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!

This comedy/drama from filmmaker Josef Kubota Wladyka began gathering hype out of its Sundance premiere last January. Ahead of Sony Pictures' Classic release this month, Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! will show its stuff at TIFF 2026.

Pacific Rim's Rinko Kikuchi stars as Haru, a Japanese woman who loves Latin dancing almost as much as she loves her Mexican husband, Luis. But when he dies on the dance floor during an amateur competition, how will she move through her grief? The title's a clue! Her family pushes her to join a new dance class, and before long her crush on its hot instructor gives her a new lease on life.

Imaginative, bittersweet, and wonderfully humane, Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! is a feel-good movie you won't want to miss. — K.P.

Starring: Rinko Kikuchi, Alberto Guerra, Alejandro Edda, Damián Alcázar, You, and Yoh Yoshida

How to watch: Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! will make its Canadian Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, then opens in the U.S. on Sept. 25.

Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother

When Mahershala Ali and writer/director Bassam Tariq realized the MCU's Blade movie wasn't happening, they found a new way to work together with the promising action drama Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother.

Ali stars as Latif, a Muslim family man who is also a hit man dedicated to protecting his community from outside threats. However, the death of his wife pitches Latif into the role of sole parent. But his path of violence is not one so easily left behind. So, as he battles to get what his three children need, he must also face down hired guns and a charismatic cult leader, played by John Cho.

There are a lot of exciting titles hitting this fall. But we're predicting this one is in the must-see category. — K.P.*

Starring: Mahershala Ali, John Cho, Giancarlo Esposito, Abubakr Ali, Tramell Tillman, Tiffany Boone, and Laith Nakli

How to watch: Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother will make its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, then opens in limited theatrical release in the U.S. on Sept. 25, expanding on Oct. 2, and going wide on Oct. 9.

Atonement

Writer/director Reed Van Dyk explores forgiveness, grief, and what it means to move on in Atonement. Inspired by the article of the same name by American journalist Dexter Filkins, Atonement begins in 2003 Iraq, where American soldiers mistakenly killed three civilians, all belonging to the same family. What did this deadly error do to these men's surviving mother and sister? What happened to the soldiers?

Filkins explored this in his article. Now Van Dyk reimagines him as Michael Reid, an American journalist who, years after this horrid event, wants to reunite soldier Lou D'Alessandro (Boyd Holbrook) and widow Mariam Khachaturian (Hiam Abbass). Together, might they find some form of peace?

Reviews out of the Cannes International Film Festival were largely raves. So, TIFF attendees are eager to see what Van Dyk delivers. — K.P.

Starring: Boyd Holbrook, Kenneth Branagh, and Hiam Abbass

How to watch: Following its North American Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Atonement will open in theaters in limited release on Oct. 2.

Tenzing

Tom Hiddleston and Genden Phuntsok in "Tenzing." Credit: Apple TV

Plenty know the story of Sir Edmund Hillary, who summited Mount Everest. But fewer know of Tenzing Norgay, the Nepalese Indian sherpa who got him there.

Director Jennifer Peedom has previously helmed documentaries Sherpa and Mountain, and now brings that awareness of mountaineering and Norgay's legacy to Tenzing. Genden Phuntsok stars as the eponymous historical figure, while Tom Hiddleston plays Hillary. And we can't wait to see the emotional heights they'll reach together. — K.P.*

Starring: Genden Phuntsok, Tom Hiddleston, Willem Dafoe, Caitríona Balfe, and Thinley Lhamo

How to watch: Following its Canadian Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Tenzing opens in select theaters Oct. 9, before debuting globally on Apple TV Oct. 16.

Musk

Credit: AP / Bleecker Street Media

Academy Award–winning documentarian Alex Gibney has tackled corruption, unchecked greed, and high-profile fraudsters with films like The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, and Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer. Now he's locked onto technocrat and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and X, Elon Musk.

There's no trailer for this one yet. But based on Gibney's heralded filmography, we're betting Musk will be more The Jinx, less Melania. — K.P.*

How to watch: Following its North American Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Musk opens in theaters on Oct. 16.

Being Heumann

Ruth Madeley plays Judith Heumann in "Being Heumann." Credit: TIFF

From Siân Heder, the director behind the Best Picture Oscar winner CODA, comes Being Heumann, a biographical drama about Judith Heumann, an advocate known as the mother of the disability rights movement.

An adaptation of her memoir Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist, this movie focuses on the 1977 sit-in that began as an impulsive political action and became the longest occupation of a federal building in American history. Sounds like a stirring drama that could well return Heder to the Oscar campaign trail. — K.P.*

Starring: Ruth Madeley, Mark Ruffalo, Dylan O'Brien, Rob Delaney, and Ray Fisher

How to watch: Following its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Being Heumann opens in select theaters on Nov. 6, then debuts on Apple TV on Nov. 13.

Wild Horse Nine

Playwright/filmmaker Martin McDonagh has thrilled critics and audiences with his deeply dark comedies, like In Bruges; Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri; and The Banshees of Inisherin. Now he returns with Wild Horse Nine, which reunites him with Sam Rockwell, who won an Oscar for his supporting turn in Three Billboards.

Set before the 1973 Chilean coup, Wild Horse Nine centers on two CIA agents, Lee (Rockwell) and Chris (John Malkovich), who are sent to Easter Island. There they grapple with their dark pasts and present doubts. And things get more complicated when Chris connects with a duo of rebellious students. What could happen? Based on McDonagh's filmography, we're going to guess violent blows, biting jokes, and stinging bitterness. — K.P.*

Starring: John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Mariana Di Girolamo, Ailín Salas, Tom Waits, and Parker Posey

How to watch: Following its Canadian Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Wild Horse Nine opens in theaters on Nov. 6.

Bitter Christmas

It's Pedro Almodóvar with a semi-autobiographical drama about a filmmaker whose search for source material proves a problem for his closest friend.

Rich with color and melodrama, Bitter Christmas weaves not one story of an artist who irks their loved ones by pulling from their lives for his work, but two! In 2004, Elsa is looking to overcome grief over her mother with a new project. In 2025, Raúl faces a similar struggle, looking to a suffering friend for inspiration. But these two have more in common than you might expect.

After scoring praise out of the Cannes International Film Festival, Bitter Christmas comes to TIFF to stir emotions and discourse. — K.P.

Starring: Bárbara Lennie, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Victoria Luengo, Patrick Criado, Milena Smit, and Quim Gutiérrez

How to watch: Following its North American Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Bitter Christmas opens in limited release on Nov. 13, expanding Nov. 25.

Elsinore

Andrew Scott as Ian Charleson in "Elsinore." Credit: Focus Features

Last year, Focus Features brought us Hamnet; now they bring us Elsinore, another Shakespeare-related drama sure to have audiences weeping.

Named for the kingdom in William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Elsinore is a biographical drama about acclaimed Scottish actor Ian Charleson. To film fans, he might be remembered best for his work in Chariots of Fire or Gandhi. However, to the British stage he was renowned for performances of numerous Shakespeare productions. This film focuses on specifically on his last Hamlet. In 1989, Charleson played the melancholy Dane while suffering from the AIDS virus that would take his life the following year.

All of Us Strangers' Andrew Scott will take the lead as Charleson. Have your tissues ready. — K.P.*

Starring: Andrew Scott, Olivia Colman, Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, Luke Thompson, Monica Dolan, and Juliet Stevenson

How to watch: Following its Canadian Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Elsinore opens in select theaters on Nov. 20.

The Debut

Oh, we do love a film about making theatre. Director, writer, and producer Jesse Eisenberg's A24 comedy looks to capture the sheer grit and dedication of community theatre productions and the lifeline they can be for the people who make them.

In The Debut, Julianne Moore plays Mona Friedman, a wife and mother who decides to audition for a community musical in her local New Jersey theatre. What begins as a flight of fancy becomes a serious means for Mona to channel her inner rage and joy, as local legend and demanding director Jerry (Paul Giamatti) pushes her to unlock a part of herself she's long suppressed. — Shannon Connellan, Senior Editor*

Starring: Julianne Moore, Paul Giamatti, Halle Bailey, Jesse Eisenberg, Cara Buono, Craig Bierko, Eldar Isgandarov, and Bernadette Peters

How to watch: The Debut will make its International Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival Sept. 13, before it opens in theaters Dec. 11.

Ink

Jack O’Connell and Guy Pearce star in "Ink." Credit: Netflix

English filmmaker Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, 28 Years Later) reunites with Jack O'Connell for Ink.

Based on the 2017 stage play by James Graham, this biographical drama explores the work relationship between media magnate Rupert Murdoch (Guy Pearce) and news editor Larry Lamb (O'Connell), who'd move from The Daily Mail to The Sun.

We've not seen Graham's play. But details on the premise, plus Boyle and his cast, have us ready to see Ink. — K.P.*

Starring: Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce, and Claire Foy

How to watch: Following its Canadian Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Ink opens in select theaters on Dec. 11, then debuts on Netflix on Jan. 8, 2027.

Yaga

TIFF has got much-anticipated TV premieres too.

What happens when you combine the stars of Heated Rivalry, The Matrix, and Schitt's Creek? You get the cast of Yaga, a supernatural mystery rooted in the legend of Baba Yaga and based on the 2019 play by showrunner Kat Sandler.

Heated Rivalry breakout Hudson Williams plays Henry Park, heir to a powerful fishery in a small coastal town. When he goes missing, private investigator Rapp (Noah Reid) is on the case, which will lead him to cross paths with enigmatic university professor Katherine (Carrie-Anne Moss). What starts as a thriller soon veers into twisted fairy tale territory, hopefully complete with Baba Yaga's chicken leg house. (If not, we'll settle for some solid scares.) — B.E. *

Starring: Noah Reid, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hudson Williams, Clark Backo, Sheila McCarthy, Megan Follows, Ezra Franky, Patrick Gilmore, Katharine Isabelle, Hiro Kanagawa, Emilija Baranac, Georgia Acken, Anisa Harris, and Sam Krochmal

How to watch: Following its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Yaga premieres this October on AMC+.

Carrie

I know what you're thinking. Another Carrie adaptation? Really? But with Mike Flanagan at the helm, we've got high hopes.

Flanagan is the modern master of Stephen King adaptations, having directed excellent films like The Life of Chuck, Doctor Sleep, and Gerald's Game. He's also proven his considerable horror TV chops thanks to chilling projects like The Haunting of Hill House, The Fall of the House of Usher, and Midnight Mass. His upcoming Carrie miniseries synthesizes these two specialties, which already bodes well. It also updates King's story of a bullied telepathic teen (Summer H. Howell) to today, promising a fresh look at an iconic tale, even if the end destination of the world's bloodiest prom remains the same. — B.E. *

Starring: Summer H. Howell, Samantha Sloyan, Siena Agudong, Alison Thornton, Joel Oulette, Josie Totah, Arthur Conti, Thalia Dudek, Amber Midthunder, and Matthew Lillard

How to watch: Following its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Carrie premieres Oct. 7 on Prime Video.

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Getting AI to write something is easy. Getting it to write something that actually sounds like you? That’s where things get more interesting.

For a limited time, the UmanWrite All-in-One AI Writing Platform Unlimited Plan is $79 for lifetime access, down from its $1,799 list price. It combines writing, editing, humanizing, and AI detection in one workspace, with unlimited monthly word generation.

One of its biggest tricks is learning your personal writing style. Feed UmanWrite samples of your work, and you can train unlimited Voice Profiles that help future drafts better match your tone, vocabulary, and style. It also learns from your edits over time.

There are plenty of ways to make UmanWrite work for you:

• AI Humanizer: Rewrites AI-generated content into more natural, human-sounding copy.

• AI Detector: Run unlimited checks for AI-generated patterns before publishing.

• Context-aware writing: Adapts drafts to your specific audience, purpose, and writing style.

• Advanced Grammar Checker: Improves grammar, clarity, and readability.

• Unlimited Voice Profiles: Train different profiles using your own writing samples.

• Writing Studio: Write, edit, review, and organize drafts in one workspace.

UmanWrite can handle up to 2,500 words per request, and you can access it through modern desktop and mobile browsers.

That makes it useful for everything from SEO articles and newsletters to emails, social posts, marketing copy, academic content, and business documents.

Rather than accepting whatever generic AI voice appears in the first draft, UmanWrite gives you tools to shape it around your purpose — and, more importantly, your own voice.

And with unlimited monthly words included in the lifetime plan, you can keep writing without watching a monthly word counter.

For this price, that’s a lot of room to sound less like AI and more like yourself. Get lifetime access to UmanWrite’s Unlimited Plan for a one-time $79 (reg. $1,799).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Stephen King is never shy when it comes to sharing his thoughts on new adaptations of his work.

Carrie, Mike Flanagan's TV show based on the author's first published novel, is next in the pipeline — and following the release of the Prime Video trailer, King took to Threads to make his opinion on the show known.

The good news? It sounds like he's a big fan.

"Mike Flanagan's version of CARRIE is brilliant," wrote King. "What it has to say about social media is shocking and true."

Although Carrie was published in the 1970s, Flanagan's version takes Carrie White (Summer H. Howell) into the present day of smartphones and social media, which is sure to put an unpleasant new spin on what the protagonist endures at high school.

Stephen King's son, the author Joe Hill, also had positive things to say.

"I was watching this trailer for Carrie on Instagram and thinking how good it looks and suddenly found myself fighting back tears," Hill wrote. "Never had that happen before, watching a preview. Maybe I’m getting a bit soggy in my fifties, I don’t know. Looks so good tho—Mike Flanagan sure can make em."

Following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next week, Carrie debuts on streaming on Prime Video Oct. 7.

SAVE $32: As of Sept. 10, the Kindle Scribe Premium Pen is on sale for $47.99 at Amazon. That's a 40% discount on the list price.

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Credit: Amazon

Kindle Scribe Premium Pen

$47.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $32.00

 

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You can currently pick up the Kindle Scribe Premium Pen on sale at Amazon, now down to just $47.99 from $79.99. That's a saving of $32 and, according to price tracker camelcamelcamel, its best-ever price.

Made specifically for the Kindle Scribe, the Premium Pen has a matching design and an improved eraser for a more realistic writing experience. It's available in tungsten or metallic jade, with both colors currently reduced to the same price.

There's no Bluetooth pairing or charging to worry about, either. The battery-free stylus attaches magnetically to the side of the Kindle Scribe. So, you're good to start writing as soon as you unpack it.

Plus, the pen can be used for more than just writing notes. You can underline and highlight text in books, as well as use it for lists, journals, and other handwritten notes. Flipping the pen over activates the eraser, and it has a customizable shortcut button for quick access to functions such as highlighting and erasing.

The Premium Pen is on sale at Amazon right now, so don't miss out on this deal.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

SAVE $75: As of Sept. 10, the like-new Kindle Scribe is on sale for $284.99 at Amazon. That's a 21% discount off the list price.

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Credit: Amazon

Kindle Scribe (Like-New)

$284.99 at Amazon
$359.99 Save $75

 

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The Kindle Scribe isn't your usual e-reader; it also doubles up as a digital notebook for writing, reading, and everything in between. So, if you're as much a notetaker as you're a bookworm, this might be the perfect Kindle for you. And right now, you can get a refurbished model from Amazon for $284.99, saving you $75.

This particular Scribe is listed in "like-new" condition, so you're not making a big compromise to get the lower price. Amazon says its refurbished devices are tested and certified to look and function like new, and they come with the same limited warranty as a new device.

The Scribe has a 10.2-inch flush-front display, giving you plenty of screen space for reading and writing. It also comes with the updated Premium Pen, a stylus designed to replicate the feel of writing on paper. You can even scribble notes directly onto the pages of books using the Active Canvas feature.

You can find this refurbished Kindle Scribe deal at Amazon now. It's a limited-time deal, so don't miss out.

SAVE $45: As of Sept. 10, the Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet is on sale for $84.99 at Amazon. That's a 35% discount on the list price.

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Credit: Amazon

Amazon Fire HD 8

$84.99 at Amazon
$129.99 Save $45.00

 

Get Deal

Looking for a tablet that covers the basics without costing a fortune? The latest Amazon Fire HD 8 is now even more affordable, with Amazon knocking $45 off its usual price. This means that as of Sept. 10, you can pick it up for just $84.99. This price is for the 64GB model in the color black. And as a bonus, camelcamelcamel tracking shows that this is the lowest it has ever been priced.

The compact tablet has an 8-inch HD screen that's perfect for streaming shows, playing games, or catching up on social media. Under the hood, there's a hexa-core processor, up to 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of built-in storage. If you need more room for apps, downloads, and other files, you can also add a microSD card for up to 1TB of additional storage.

It's also a handy option to take with you, with up to 13 hours of battery life on a single charge. Amazon has added several smart features, too, including tools that can help write emails and summarize web pages.

You can grab the Amazon Fire HD 8 for $84.99 at Amazon right now.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

Hurdle Word 1 hint

To glorify.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

EXALT

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To cut.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

SHEAR

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To mess up.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

BOTCH

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A gorge.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

GULCH

Final Hurdle hint

Madness.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

CRAZE

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

TL;DR: Through Sept. 10, you can get a 100TB Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription on sale for $974.97.

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Credit: Internxt

Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription: 100TB

$974.97
$9,900 Save $8,925.03

 

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Most cloud storage works like a rental. You pay every month to keep your files online, and the price jumps each time you need more space. Stretch that across several years and the running total dwarfs what a one-time purchase would have cost. Internxt Cloud Storage sells the space outright instead, and a lifetime subscription with 100TB is on sale for $974.97 (reg. $9,900) through Sept. 10.

100TB, no monthly fee

Using iCloud to keep your files safe? The maximum storage Apple allows you to rent is currently just 12TB — and it costs $64.99 a month. If you’re looking for a more affordable way to safeguard your precious data, providing enough space to last a lifetime, it’s time to check out Internxt Cloud Storage.

With Internxt Cloud Storage, you own your storage space. That means you can say goodbye to those hefty monthly fees and rest easy knowing you can keep all your important data in one secure space. You can also rest easy knowing Internxt’s end-to-end encryption is so secure that even the company itself can’t access your data.

It’s also GDPR compliant — adhering to strict European privacy laws — and audited and verified by Securitum. That’s a major improvement over other cloud storage services, which not only access your data but also make money from it through targeted ads and data sharing.

If you’re making the switch, Internxt offers cross-platform compatibility so you can easily integrate it across all your devices and operating systems via a desktop app, web browser app, and iOS or Android app.

Pay once to never rent your cloud storage again.

Through Sept. 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT, you can get a 100TB Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription for $974.97.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Would you believe it? Apple finally has an actual foldable phone in its lineup: the iPhone Duo.

As is customary, following the grand unveiling on Wednesday Sept. 9, the company let journalists into a space where we could experience the new devices, and you can guess which one drew the biggest crowd.

Fortunately, Apple brought more than one, so after some elbowing, persuading, and begging (mostly begging), we got a few minutes alone with the iPhone Duo. Here's what it's really like, at first glance.

It’s surprisingly smooth

Fold it halfway, and the iPhone Duo becomes a very expensive clock and photo frame. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The iPhone Duo works amazingly well. Starting with that mesmerizing animation that blends one display into the other when you fold or unfold the phone, everything on the iPhone Duo looks and feels as if Apple has been doing foldables for years. It's early days (hours), I know, but everything I tried to do on the phone felt natural and happened very quickly.

The larger display is glorious to look at, and it immediately makes your old iPhone feel very cramped in comparison, especially if you launch something like Photos, which makes it so much more enjoyable to browse through your photo collection.

Position the iPhone Duo this way, and apps will split to make the best use of the space. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Flip it vertically (while unfolded), and it feels like, well, a very big iPhone, but I can totally see myself reading books, or magazines, or browsing the web this way. Netflix, in particular, has been upgraded to work with the foldable display, and I was happy to see that whichever way I turned the phone, and whether I folded, unfolded, or half-folded the display, the app knew what to do, and playback continued.

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I'll need a lot more time to see how other apps (especially third-party apps) behave on the iPhone Duo. But I'm pretty certain already that Apple has done a great job adapting iOS to work with a foldable display.

A foldable phone has more than two states — folded and unfolded — with several in-between positions, and Apple thought of that, too. If you fold it halfway and place it on a desk, the iPhone Duo will become a (very expensive) digital clock and calendar. You can also have two apps working side by side, or one above the other, depending on the orientation. Again, and to my surprise, I never experienced a moment when the phone didn't know what to do with an app, or when things became slow, weird, or jittery.

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The design gets almost everything right

The iPhone Duo’s crease is there, but it’s easy to miss. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The crease didn't bother me. It exists, but I could barely see it. For practical purposes, I didn't notice it, and the display looks gorgeous from all angles. The laminated display has multiple layers designed to keep it functional and durable through repeated folding and unfolding. It also has a matte finish that I prefer to the glossy finish on a regular iPhone's display.

As for the design and its somewhat unusual form factor, I think Apple got it right. When folded, it's a bit more square than a regular phone, but I could get used to it. Unfold it, and it's basically a thinner, more elegant iPad mini. It's the sweet spot, and I could easily see this being my primary phone. Holding it fully unfolded feels a bit odd, as you're probably smearing greasy fingerprints across the outer display, but I don't really see how that could be avoided.

When unfolded, it's the thinnest iPhone ever. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

For the first time, Apple is using an under-the-display camera on the iPhone Duo. The way it works is pretty sleek; it's nearly (but not completely) invisible until you need it, and it appears and disappears with a cool little animation. Its slightly off-center position can look a little odd when the display is unfolded, but I don't think it'll matter much in actual use.

One thing that makes me worry, though, is how slippery the iPhone Duo's edges are, which makes it a bit harder to unfold, even with two hands. I've yet to try it with a case, but I think a grippy case will be a must-have. With a phone that costs $2,000, you'll probably want a case anyway.

The wait begins

The iPhone Duo may be here in the demo room, but the rest of us will have to wait until Oct. 23. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The iPhone Duo is launching in October, roughly one month after the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which will be available in just over a week. This means our review will come a little later. That's fine, as it will give developers time to adapt their apps for the Duo. As far as I could tell, the only third-party app that's been fully overhauled to work nicely on the Duo is Netflix.

For now, it's definitely the most interesting iPhone Apple has launched in years, and I'm looking forward to spending more time with it.

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Top smartphone deals of the week

If the $1,999 iPhone Duo isn’t in your budget, this is a great time to take advantage of discounts on previous-generation iPhones and Android devices.

• Get the iPhone 17 for $0 down at T-Mobile

• Samsung Galaxy S26 FE + $200 Amazon Gift Card — $799.99 $999.99 (save $200)

• Google Pixel 11 Pro — $1,019.70 $1,099 (save $79.30)

• Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra — $1,049.99 $1,299.99 (save $250)

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 — $1,649.99 $1,899.99 (save $250)

Apple has raised the prices of its iPhone 16, 17, 17e, and Air, quietly making the changes to coincide with its announcement of the new iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and foldable Duo. Some of them are now even more expensive than they were at launch.

Historically, the release of a new iPhone has been accompanied by a price cut on older models, making the devices more attractive to savvy shoppers. Unfortunately, it seems as though their patience has instead been punished this year, with multiple past iPhones getting a $100 bump in price instead.

The iPhone 16 had been available for $699 before Apple's event on Wednesday, having received a $100 price cut when the iPhone 17 was released last year. That reduction has now been reversed, putting the iPhone 16 back up to $799 — the same price it was when it launched two years ago in 2024.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 17, 17e, and Air are now more expensive than they were at launch. The budget iPhone 17e was originally available for $599 when it was announced in March this year, but it will now set you back $699. Apple's iPhone 17 launched at $799 last September, but its price has now been increased to $899. Finally, the iPhone Air launched at $999 alongside the iPhone 17, but will now cost buyers $1,099.

Top smartphone deals of the week

If the $1,999 iPhone Duo isn’t in your budget, this is a great time to take advantage of discounts on previous-generation iPhones and Android devices.

• Get the iPhone 17 for $0 down at T-Mobile

• Samsung Galaxy S26 FE + $200 Amazon Gift Card — $799.99 $999.99 (save $200)

• Google Pixel 11 Pro — $1,019.70 $1,099 (save $79.30)

• Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra — $1,049.99 $1,299.99 (save $250)

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 — $1,649.99 $1,899.99 (save $250)

To top it off, the newly announced iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are also $100 more expensive than last year's 17 Pro and Pro Max at launch, starting at $1,199 and $1,299, respectively. 

Some commentators had expected Apple to launch the iPhone 18 Pro at $1,099, absorbing higher manufacturing costs to keep it in line with the iPhone 17 Pro's pricing. It was a reasonable conclusion to draw considering Apple's past pricing trends. However, it seems the tech giant isn't prepared to reduce its profit margin quite that much this year. (Apple's recent Q3 2026 results reported a net quarterly profit of $29.8 billion, with net iPhone sales having increased 22 percent to $54.25 billion.)

While unwelcome, Apple's price hikes aren't a complete surprise. The AI boom has significantly increased demand for memory chips, driving up manufacturing costs as tech companies compete for limited supplies. In June, Apple's former CEO Tim Cook told the Wall Street Journal that though the company was trying to "mitigate" the impact on customers, "price increases are unavoidable."

Bloomberg subsequently reported last month that Apple was preparing to raise the prices of its iPhones, having already done so for other products such as the iPad Air, MacBook Air, and Mac Studio.

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The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a science geek.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Periodic table

• Green: House accessories

• Blue: Jersey rock hits

• Purple: Up-to-date

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Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Chemical elements

• Green: What you might see sticking out of a window

• Blue: Bruce Springsteen classics

• Purple: Ending in synonyms for "Happening now"

Play our Big Guessing Game: Make your predictions now for a chance to win a new Apple Watch. Time's running out!

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #1186 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Chemical elements: ACTINIUM, KRYPTON, LEAD, SULFUR

• What you might see sticking out of a window: AIR CONDITIONER, CATIO, CLOTHESLINE, FLOWER BOX

• Bruce Springsteen classics: ATLANTIC CITY, BADLANDS, BORN TO RUN, THUNDER ROAD

• Ending in synonyms for "Happening now": ADULT CONTEMPORARY, ALTERNATING CURRENT, REPRESENT, SEXTANT

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.

While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

Actinium meaning

A rare, soft silver radioactive chemical element.

Krypton meaning

A colorless, odorless chemical element and noble gas.

Lead meaning

A toxic dark gray chemical element.

Sulfur meaning

A bright yellow chemical element.

Atlantic City meaning

A popular coastal New Jersey city.

Badlands meaning

Dry, eroded area of land that has gone unused.

Born to Run meaning

A popular 1975 song and album released by Bruce Springsteen.

Thunder Road meaning

A 1975 Bruce Springsteen hit song.

Air conditioner meaning

A machine used to cool down a space.

Catio meaning

An enclosed outdoor space used to house pet cats.

Clothesline meaning

An outdoor rope connected at two points used to hang up wet clothing.

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Flower box meaning

A long, rectangular box used to hold and display flowers or other plants in a window.

Adult contemporary meaning

A genre of music consisting of slow to mid-tempo songs.

Alternating current meaning

An electric current that reverses direction and changes magnitude over time.

Represent meaning

To act on behalf of.

Sextant meaning

A navigation tool used to measure angles.

Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints describe awards.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Victory lap

The words are related to success.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe awards.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is We Have a Winner.

NYT Strands word list for September 10

• Pennant

• Prize

• We Have a Winner

• Trophy

• Medal

• Crown

• Laurels

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're sarcastic.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Ironically.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter Y appears twice.

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Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter D.

The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

DRYLY

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.

Hope is the epic monster movie that The End of Oak Street failed to be. Bear with me; this is more than a "they're both monster movies" comparison.

Both films focus on a humble neighborhood under siege by rampaging beasts. Both feature gruesome violence as mankind gets swatted down the food chain. Both center on heroes who are alarmingly bad at recognizing danger. But only one satisfies as eye-popping entertainment with something worthwhile to say.

Where The End of Oak Street was a clumsy Spielberg pastiche lacking sense and humanity, Hope is a rollicking, action-packed thrill ride that roars with the intensity of Hollywood blockbusters without compromising its unnerving commentary.

Why choose between thought-provoking cinema and a bonkers popcorn movie? Na Hong-jin's Hope is both.

Hope is a Jaws descendant that deserves the title.

From South Korean writer/director Na Hong-jin (The Wailing, The Yellow Sea) comes a monster movie that steals smartly from Spielberg's Jaws, without feeling like a rip-off.

Like Jaws, Hope kicks off with a small town police chief — in this case, Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) — who finds a curious corpse in the rural lands outside of his town. Local hunters have called him over a dead cow, whose side is sliced wide open with confoundingly large claw marks. Could it be a bear? A tiger? Or spies from North Korea looking to sow confusion?

While the chief heads into town to investigate further, his cousin, a brash young hunter named Sung-ki (Zo In-sung), leads others into the woods to investigate. Like Brody from Jaws, Bum-seok is determined to protect his people from this mysterious beast, but he is alarmingly ill-equipped to manage it.

Na sets up some subtle visuals that suggest this ineptitude as soon as Bum-seok struts onscreen. The cow carnage before him suggests a foe that is massive, mighty, and savage. By contrast, Bum-seok wears a sharply pressed policeman's uniform, with flared pant legs that accent his kicky little leather boots. He is a man of order, not chaos. So, much like the sea-fearing Brody on Quint's boat, Bum-seok becomes a fish out of water in his own town when the monster comes calling.

Like Spielberg, Na takes his time revealing the full majesty and horror of this monster. Nearly an hour passes before the beast is revealed onscreen. But along the way, Na gives his audience plenty to scream over.

Hope is an exhilarating, surprising, and totally gnarly action movie.

Police outpost chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) looks for a monster in "Hope." Credit: NEON

For the film's first leg, Na binds his audience to Bum-seok, in both quest and perspective. Like him, we are eager to understand this creature, more eager perhaps to see it for ourselves. But Na toys with us. When Bum-seok gets back to town, he realizes the monster is already here.

He races through its path of destruction, past shattered market stalls, crumbling walls, and bloodied corpses that litter the street. He follows the sounds of smashing, gunfire, and screams. His neighbors rush past him, firing an array of heavy artillery. And still, he is always too many steps behind to see what's causing this destruction. Our idea of the monster is shaped by details in the wreckage, like how big a hole it leaves in a concrete wall or how far it throws an entire pick-up truck.

This frenzied pursuit sequence spins through streets, battered businesses, and down gulleys. Along the way, Bum-seok will be mocked for his confusion and team up with a reluctant ally, who carries a bow and arrow. And in every frame, the excitement mounts. By withholding the monster, Na urges the audience to be children again, with our imaginations running wild at the bump in the night.

Critics out of the film's world premiere at the Cannes International Film Festival were divided about the computer animation that brings Hope's creatures to life. IndieWire reported the film got a new cut and a polish on its CGI since then. Having not seen the Cannes cut, I squealed with absolute joy when the first monster was revealed in the theatrical release of Hope. And for all those critters that came after, I was likewise giddy.

Sure, not all of the GCI is seamlessly composited into the locations of town and forest that Hope traverses. But Na's collection of creatures is intriguing and unexpected, brought to life by captivating animation that makes these bumps in the suspension of disbelief pass in forgettable flickers.

Hope pivots hard in its second act.

Not long after the monster is revealed, Bum-seok teams up with rookie cop Sung-ae (Squid Game's Hoyeon), who's got a brash mouth to match her booming assault rifle. After a jaw-dropping car chase that makes The Bourne Identity look like Driving Miss Daisy, they finally, fatally fell the monster. But we're only over an hour into this 156-minute movie. So, what next?

Well, for one, Na will lead us back to the woods, where Sung-ki and the other hunters are about to have close encounters of their own. More action will spark there, while back in town, Bum-seok chases answers to all the questions raised by the monster attack. Here, Na weaves in new characters, who are quirky and influenced by small-town superstition. (Think Widow's Bay.) And as they find answers, Bum-seok and Sung-ae find disturbing truths about who's really to blame for the devastation before them.

In the second half, Hope allows its audience more room to breathe than it does its human heroes. Comical monologues about hunting and defecation keep things light, even as the realizations turn dark. From there, Na pulls us out of Bum-seok's perspective, to one more knowing, and empathetic.

The looks Na grants of the monsters are no longer strictly to scare us. The following conflict between man and beast becomes one where we not only revel in the outrageous and brutal action that turns armed men into ribbons of flesh and rivers of blood. But we are also urged to consider the origins of this violence — in between the screams and laughter that Na earns with each new chase or challenge.

Hope is confusing, but strategically so.

The absolutely outstanding action sequence of monster-made mayhem should be reason enough for genre fans to buy a ticket. Na's vision of action makes room for thrills, surprises, scares, and laughs with generous abandon. Yet Hope offers more than an absolutely outrageous spectacle.

Again, I point to the failings of The End of Oak Street. Yes, it too offered violent beasts and gory action sequences. But the disdain — or maybe indifference — that American filmmaker David Robert Mitchell had for the family at the center of his movie makes watching them less fun and more torturous. The fact that they never got any better at recognizing the threat around them felt more an insult to the audience than a rich terrain for slasher trope scares.

By contrast, Hope has an empathy for its foolish humans, even as it presents them in brief sketches. Unlike Jaws, we never learn much about the police chief's life outside of this very bad day on the job. When Sung-ae is introduced, it's with a fearless attack on the monster, and virtually no context about her character. Likewise, other locals will pop into the plot, only to disappear for a stretch, then return as a corpse (or part of one).

There were moments where I felt my brain leaping to bridge the gap between what I saw and what I knew. But here's the thing: 1) These little details don't matter, and 2) the confusion Na causes with such leaps reflects the confusion his townsfolk are enduring as they try to survive. The details of their backstory are not as crucial to who they are in their actions and to each other. Essentially, the first half of Hope urges us to look for clues of what is going on. The second half suggests that we might have been focusing on the wrong ones.

All this leads to a climax that is rigorously exciting, with a chase scene that had my heart thumping so hard it should count as a cardio workout. Here is where Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, and Taylor Russell pop up in surprising roles I won't spoil here. But if you know they're in it going into the movie, there's no mistaking them onscreen.

Admittedly, not every sequence needs the time Na gives it to play out. Some beats feel redundant, especially in the final sequence. There, it seems either Na is second-guessing his audience's capacity for understanding, or is indulging in the sci-fi flourishes of Hope. But in any case, Hope's runtime flies by.

Chasing the audience across a village marketplace, through mountainside forests, into stranger caverns, and down a seemingly endless highway, Na offers a monster movie that is unique, captivating, and explosive fun. His monsters and men are sketches, but beautifully realized through a terrific cast and thoughtful visual effects that spur our imaginations rather than offer easy answers. What Na has made here is a marvel that smartly plucks from Spielberg's playbook to create something fresh, fun, and challenging.

I didn't just laugh, gasp, scream, and squeal watching this movie. I was thrust full-bodied back into what it was like being a kid seeing a Godzilla movie or Jaws for the first time. I've seen hundreds or thousands of movies and monsters since then. But with a keen awareness of audience and a passion for action and creatures, Na brought it all back. Hope made me feel like a kid again as I watched it, then dared me to confront the hard truths at its heart. Through that journey, Hope becomes the kind of movie that doesn't let go, and cheers to that.

Hope was reviewed out of the Toronto International Film Festival. It opens in theaters in the U.S. on Sept. 9.

After so many months of speculation, Apple finally unveiled the foldable iPhone Duo. When the "Surprise and Shine" keynote wrapped, one of Mashable's senior reporters even got to check out the device in a crowded Apple Park demo room.

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The iPhone Duo will be officially released on Oct. 23, and you'll have to wait until then for a proper review. However, I have spent a lot of time with the device's biggest competition, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8.

So, how do these two flagship foldables compare?

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Z Fold 8: Cost

Before the Apple iPhone event, rumors pegged the iPhone Duo's price somewhere between $2,000 and $2,300, so the final $1,999 price tag was a pleasant surprise. Of course, that's still a massive investment for most people, as is the Z Fold 8, which has a starting price of $1,899.99. Both phones come with 256GB of storage and can be upgraded with more.

The 2TB version of the iPhone Duo will cost a whopping $3,199, whereas the Z Fold 8 doesn't have a 2TB version.

Top smartphone deals of the week

If the $1,999 iPhone Duo isn’t in your budget, this is a great time to take advantage of discounts on previous-generation iPhones and Android devices.

• Get the iPhone 17 for $0 down at T-Mobile

• Samsung Galaxy S26 FE + $200 Amazon Gift Card — $799.99 $999.99 (save $200)

• Google Pixel 11 Pro — $1,019.70 $1,099 (save $79.30)

• Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra — $1,049.99 $1,299.99 (save $250)

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 — $1,649.99 $1,899.99 (save $250)

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Z Fold 8: Design

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a boxier design. Credit: Joe Maldonado / CNET Group

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to make of the iPhone Duo's design based on the leaks. The rounded corners and D-shaped outer display reminded me of the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and not in a good way. However, after its big reveal, I have to admit that I was totally wrong: I think Apple nailed the design.

The iPhone Duo has a sleek, futuristic look, and when unfolded, it takes on a more sculptural shape. By comparison, the Z Fold 8 looks a little boxy and utilitarian.

Both phones are also remarkably thin. Unfolded, the Duo is Apple's thinnest phone ever at just 5.2mm. The Z Fold 8 is even thinner, a mere 4.5 mm when unfolded. The Z Fold 8 is also significantly lighter.

iPhone Duo vs. Z Fold 8: Displays and creases

The folding iPhone Duo on display. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

Here's how the displays compare specs-wise:

• iPhone Duo: 7.6-inch inner Super Retina XDR display and 5.4-inch outer Super Retina XDR display

• Galaxy Z Fold 8: 7.6-inch inner AMOLED display and a 5.5-inch outer AMOLED display

Crucially, the iPhone Duo has Apple's premium nano-texture display. Because this minimizes reflections on the device, the crease should be even less visible on the Duo, and it all but disappears in early photos and videos of the device. The combination of Liquid Glass, Super Retina XDR, and nano texture results in an impressive display that will be very hard to beat.

That being said, the Z Fold 8 also has impressive AMOLED displays and a nearly invisible crease. There's a reason Apple tapped Samsung to manufacture the iPhone Duo's flexible display, after all.

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Z Fold 8: The cameras

The camera array on the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Credit: Joe Maldonado / CNET Group

In my review of the Galaxy Z Fold 8, I noted that the device's cameras were its biggest drawback. If you want a Pro-level camera array, you'll need to upgrade to the pricier Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

In comparison, the iPhone Duo appears to make fewer compromises on its cameras. Let's start by breaking down the specs:

• iPhone Duo cameras: 48-megapixel main camera, 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera, 12MP Center Stage selfie camera, and an under-display FaceTime camera

• Galaxy Z Fold 8 cameras: 50MP wide, 50MP ultrawide, 10MP selfie camera

While 50MP might seem to automatically beat 48MP, don't be so sure. Image quality has as much to do with the phone's processor as the cameras themselves, and Apple's new A20 Pro chip sounds like a killer. However, Apple is just now introducing AI photo editing features in iOS 27 that have been standard on Samsung Galaxy phones for a couple of years.

We obviously haven't been able to test the iPhone Duo's selfie cameras yet, but this is another area where Apple has an apparent edge.

I hated the Z Fold 8's 10MP selfie camera, which is so useless I wondered why Samsung included it at all. It merely takes up space on the inner display. The under-display FaceTime camera will probably have quality issues as well, but it won't take up precious pixel space. Apple also has an additional Center Stage selfie camera on the rear of the device. On other iPhones, the Center Stage camera has been great for taking vertical and horizontal selfies without flipping the phone in your hands, among other perks.

Apple StandBy mode

Credit: Apple

During the iPhone Duo introduction, Apple was keen to show the device acting as a smart alarm clock on a nightstand. This is part of the phone's StandBy mode, which allows you to "turn your iPhone Duo into a clock, photo frame, or a display for the weather, calendar or your favorite widgets." (Please don't leave

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 also supports multitasking and side-by-side apps, of course. But while the Z Fold 8 is primarily designed for multitasking, Apple StandBy mode is a fun twist. The prospect of using your iPhone Duo as a smart picture frame while you're at your desk is certainly interesting.

We'll have to wait and see how it works IRL.

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Z Fold 8: Which is the better foldable?

Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

We can't answer this question until we've properly tested the foldable iPhone Duo. But some things to consider as you mull whether to preorder the device:

• The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is our favorite Android foldable released yet

• The iPhone Duo's design and camera features will be very hard to beat

• Both phones have impressive displays, though the nano-texture coating may give Apple a slight edge

• Apple emphasized that the iPhone Duo was designed for durability in the long-term, and it's IP68 dust and water-resistant; the Z Fold 8 has a slightly less impressive IP48 certification

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Z Fold 8: By the numbers

Want to see the full list of specs side by side?

iPhone Duo specifications:

• Inner display: 7.6-inch inner and 5.5-inch outer AMOLED displays with 120Hz refresh rate

• Cameras: 48-megapixel main camera, 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera, 12MP Center Stage selfie camera, and an under-display FaceTime camera

• Processor: Apple A20 Pro chipset

• Colors: White, deep blue

• Dimensions: 164.6 x 117.8 x 5.2mm unfolded / 84.1 x 117.8 x 11.3mm folded

• Weight: 254 grams

• RAM: 12GB to 24GB RAM

• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB storage

• Charging: 60W wired, 30W wireless

• Peak brightness: Up to 3,000 nits

• Water resistance: IP68 water and dust resistant

Galaxy Z Fold 8 specifications

• Display: 7.6-inch inner and 5.5-inch outer AMOLED displays with 120Hz refresh rate

• Cameras: 50MP wide, 50MP ultrawide, 10MP selfie camera

• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset

• Colors: Lavender, cream, graphite, and pistachio

• Dimensions: 123.9 x 161.4 x 4.5 mm unfolded / 123.9 x 81.9 x 9.7 mm unfolded

• Weight: 201 grams

• RAM: 12GB to 16GB RAM

• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage

• Battery: 4,800mAh battery

• Charging: 45W wired, 20W wireless

• Peak brightness: Up to 3,000 nits

• Water resistance: IP48 water and dust resistant

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park.

Ever wonder what your camera roll would look like in 1985? There’s a ChatGPT prompt for that.

The AI tool’s latest trend has social media users turning current pictures into imagined throwbacks, complete with vintage outfits, big hair and that slightly faded family-album finish.

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Want to see yourself posing for a mall portrait, heading to an arcade date or hanging out with friends at the roller rink? Start a new ChatGPT conversation and attach a clear, well-lit photo of yourself or the people you want pictured. Then describe the setting, clothes, hairstyle and lighting you have in mind.

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Don’t forget to tell it what to keep: your recognizable face, natural skin tone, age and facial structure. You’re asking for an ’80s wardrobe, after all — you still want to look like yourself.

Not sure where to start? See below for a list of prompts to try or customize. Swap in the clothes and locations you’d actually want in your photo. Thank us later.

For a classic 1985 makeover

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"Using my uploaded photo, imagine me in an American snapshot taken in 1985. Preserve my recognizable identity, facial features, natural skin tone and current age. Give me a distinctly mid-1980s hairstyle suited to my hair texture, an oversized patterned shirt, high-waisted jeans and period-appropriate accessories. Place me outside a neighborhood record store with a window display of vinyl records. Use direct camera flash, subtle analog grain, slightly faded colors and soft photographic detail. Add a small red-orange date stamp reading ‘09 09 85’ in the lower corner. Avoid modern objects and any other added text.”

For a group photo

"Use the uploaded reference photo to recreate our group hanging out in an American suburban living room in 1988. Preserve each person’s individual facial features, age and natural skin tone. Give us distinct casual outfits with denim, patterned sweaters and colorful shirts. Include a wood-paneled wall, a patterned sofa, a cassette player and a boxy television. Arrange us naturally, as though a friend has just taken a quick flash photo."

For a solo studio portrait

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"Use my uploaded photo to create a realistic portrait of me at an American shopping-mall photography studio in 1986. Preserve my recognizable facial features, natural skin tone, age and facial structure. Give me a denim jacket over a simple T-shirt and a softly feathered hairstyle suited to my hair texture. Use a mottled blue studio backdrop, soft portrait lighting and subtle film grain. The finished image should feel like a print from a family album.”

For a road-trip photo

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"Create a realistic photograph of me standing beside a parked 1980s American coupe at a roadside stop in 1987. Use my uploaded photo to preserve my recognizable face, age and natural skin tone. Give me straight-leg jeans, a tucked-in T-shirt, a lightweight windbreaker and sunglasses resting on my head. Use late-afternoon sunlight and the slightly faded colors of a printed vacation photo. Keep visible cars, signs and accessories appropriate to the year."

For a couple

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"Using our uploaded photo as the reference, create a candid picture of us on a date at an American arcade in 1985. Preserve both people’s recognizable faces, natural skin tones, ages and facial structures. Dress us in casual denim, colorful tops and period-appropriate sneakers. Include arcade cabinets, softly glowing screens and a direct camera-flash effect. Keep our poses relaxed and our skin texture realistic."

For a roller-rink night

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"Transform my uploaded photo into a realistic snapshot of me at an American roller rink in 1984. Keep my identity, age, facial structure and natural skin tone consistent with the reference. Dress me in a colorful athletic top, high-waisted shorts, striped socks and quad roller skates. Place me beside the rink railing with colored lights and skaters in the background. Use subtle motion blur behind me and the look of a flash photograph."

If the first result needs work

Love the outfit, but the face looks a little off? Tell ChatGPT exactly what needs fixing. For example: "Bring my face closer to the original reference. Keep my original face shape, eyes, nose and smile. Leave the outfit and background as they are."

If it went a little too big on the hair and clothes, try: "Make the clothing and hair more understated, like an ordinary weekend snapshot from 1985."

Once you get a version you like, you can keep the look and change the location. OpenAI recommends making small, targeted revisions and spelling out what should stay the same.

Of course, this isn’t ChatGPT’s first social media makeover. We’ve seen the caricature trend turn users into cartoon versions of themselves, and the "make it more" trend had people repeatedly asking ChatGPT to exaggerate images until things got ridiculous. This time, the assignment is a little more nostalgic.

Before you post, check faces, hands and background details against your original photo. Some participants in a Reddit discussion of the trend have complained that the results don’t really look like them, so take a second look! Then comes the real decision: whether to leave that hairstyle in 1985 or bring it to your next salon appointment.

Apple's new foldable iPhone Duo can do many things, including side-by-side screen multitasking and hands-free video viewing at different angles.

Yet the company also pitched the $1,999 device as a "delightful bedside clock" during its Apple Event 2026 presentation on Wednesday.

Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, said the Duo has the "ability to wake you up with a gentle glow timed perfectly with your alarm."

In the imagery shared by Apple, the partly folded Duo rests on a nightstand — exactly where numerous health and wellness experts say it should not be.

Why you shouldn't sleep with your phone

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, for example, recommends keeping your phone in another room and relying on a digital clock instead. That's because research suggests sleeping next to a phone can worsen sleep quality in different ways.

First, there's the temptation of one last scroll, whether that's to check your social media feed or browse a shopping app for last-minute deals. Five minutes can quickly turn into 50, whittling down the amount of sleep you get.

Then, even if you expect pre-bedtime screentime to be relaxing, there's always the risk of mental stimulation that keeps your brain buzzing well after the phone is off for the night.

Experts also suspect that nonstop notifications during the day prime people to anticipate them at night, too. On its own, that dynamic may diminish sleep quality. But so will checking your phone after you've randomly woken up.

Apple surprises with pitch to use Duo as alarm clock

The emphasis on Duo as a bedside clock is surprising coming from Apple, given the company's emphasis on health and wellness. Among Apple's announcements on Wednesday were a raft of new Apple Watch health features designed to optimize and maximize physical well-being.

The new Apple Watch Ultra 4, for example, debuts a readiness feature that analyzes metrics like recent activity, training load, and — you guessed it — a sleep score to determine how a user should tackle their day.

Perhaps Apple has been rattled by the growing popularity of smart or screen-free alarm clocks like the Dreamie, Hatch Sleep Clock, and Hatch Restore 3, which can displace the smartphone as the first and last device people interact with every day.

Yes, you can really sleep without your phone

Whatever the case, sleeping without a phone in your bedroom isn't as nerve-wracking as it seems.

My own recent attempt at this led to one of the best nights of sleep I've ever enjoyed — and a permanent shift in my behavior. My phone stays in another room overnight and I use a screen-free alarm clock. To catch any emergency calls, I put my phone in do-not-disturb but turn the ringer on and all the way up so favorites can break through the silence if needed.

It can feel like an annoying hack just to get a peaceful night's rest, but it's far better than waking up, reaching for my phone, and getting pulled into text or email messages before I'm even out of bed.

At a glance:

• The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are $100 more expensive than last year's Pro models; pre-orders begin Sept. 12 ahead of a Sept. 18 launch.

• The iPhone 18 Pro features a new A20 Pro chip to better support AI features and Siri AI.

• While the design is largely the same, the new phones come in four color options: burgundy, black, silver, and glacier blue. Last year's iPhone 17 Pro didn't have a black option.

• The new phones have major camera upgrades, including a physical variable aperture, smart focus tracking, cinematic video effects, and improved low-light photography.

The new iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple's most powerful smartphone model, was officially announced on Wednesday at the big "Surprise and Shine" event.

And if you take a look at the device, you may notice that — aside from the new color options — the new iPhone Pro Max looks a lot like the old iPhone Pro Max.

It's true. Visually, the iPhone 18 Pro Max sports a very similar design in the same-sized body as its predecessor, the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

However, when it comes to the iPhone 18 Pro Max, it's what's on the inside that counts.

So, before you pre-order the new iPhones, here's the head-to-head between the two devices.

Cost

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are priced at $1,199 and $1,299, respectively. That means the phones both arrive with a $100 starting price increase over last year's model, which isn't too bad given the global memory crisis.

This is the one area where the iPhone 17 Pro models had a clear advantage.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

Color options

The iPhone 18 Pro Max comes in black, silver, glacier blue, and burgundy. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

Let's get the aforementioned color options out of the way first. Visually, this is the big difference between the new iPhone 18 Pro Max and the old iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max comes in four colors. There's a new burgundy and glacier blue, as well as a silver color that looks to be a slightly different shade than the iPhone 17 Pro Max's silver. And finally, a black model returns after being conspicuously (and controversially) absent from the iPhone 17 Pro Max options.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max comes in silver, deep blue, and the viral cosmic orange color options. So, if you were really drawn to that Halloween-esque orange color, this fall, it's all about burgundy.

Display, size, and design

As mentioned, these phones have the same overall design. Both of these Apple smartphones sport a 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display in an aluminum body.

The height, width, and depth of the iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro Max are exactly the same. The only real difference between the two here is in their weight. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is slightly heavier than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, weighing 8.78 ounces versus 8.22 ounces, respectively.

Why is the new model heavier? Likely because of the larger battery and new variable aperture components.

Cameras

Credit: Apple

This is the first big difference between the two devices.

Yes, the iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 17 Pro Max both have a 48MP Pro Fusion camera system with a 48MP Fusion Main lens, 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide lens, and 48MP Fusion Telephoto lens. 

However, the iPhone 18 Pro Max introduces a physical variable aperture on its main camera lens. This provides way more control when it comes to lighting and depth of field, and it will make a noticeable difference in the quality of the photo and video output.

In addition, the iPhone 18 Pro Max has smart focus tracking, cinematic mode video effects, and improved low-light video. There's also a new image authentication feature called Apple Reference Image that verifies that the image was captured by the iPhone camera and isn't AI-generated.

Credit: Apple

The new iPhone 18 Pro Max has new Pro Controls features as well, which gives users the ability to manually tweak lens aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and more.

Battery

Another huge difference between the two devices is the battery. In fact, Apple says that the iPhone 18 Pro Max has "the largest increase of battery life ever on iPhone."

The iPhone 18 Pro Max can last for 45 hours of video playback on a single charge. That's 6 more hours than its predecessor.

Dynamic Island

Credit: Apple

Visibly, you may not be able to notice this, but the physical cutout on the iPhone 18 Pro Max display, where the Dynamic Island is housed, is smaller than on the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The sensor region where the cutout is located is roughly 16.57mm. On the iPhone 17 Pro Max, this region was 20.76mm.

Why does that make a difference? By shrinking the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple was able to add a third activity display within the feature. So, even though the physical Dynamic Island is smaller on the iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple is able to pack more into the feature because of this. And this 3-in-1 Dynamic Island is only available on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models.

Processing power

Credit: Apple

The biggest and most unappreciated difference will be what powers the devices.

Apple says it completely redesigned its Silicon chipset, with the A20 Pro chip, to make it its most powerful and most efficient iPhone yet. In addition to that, it completely redesigned its vapor chamber system in order to keep the iPhone 18 Pro Max cool and deliver the highest possible thermal performance.

While the iPhone 17 Pro Max's A19 Pro chipset is certainly powerful in its own right, the A20 Pro chip was designed at a time when Apple is simultaneously launching many of its new Apple Intelligence features, such as the completely reimagined voice assistant Siri AI.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park.

Top smartphone deals of the week

If the $1,999 iPhone Duo isn’t in your budget, this is a great time to take advantage of discounts on previous-generation iPhones and Android devices.

• Get the iPhone 17 for $0 down at T-Mobile

• Samsung Galaxy S26 FE + $200 Amazon Gift Card — $799.99 $999.99 (save $200)

• Google Pixel 11 Pro — $1,019.70 $1,099 (save $79.30)

• Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra — $1,049.99 $1,299.99 (save $250)

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 — $1,649.99 $1,899.99 (save $250)

Weeks after announcing its sale to AI image-generator Midjourney, astrology app Co-Star revealed it's launching a dating app for book lovers called Readme.

First reported on Sept. 4 in journalist Emily Sundberg's newsletter, Feed Me, Readme (unrelated to Feed Me) is for "people who read (or want to date people who read)." It's the brainchild of Co-Star's founder and CEO, Banu Guler, and strategist and cultural analyst Emily Segal. Guler shared the news on X on Tuesday:

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"Obviously everyone knows that existing dating app culture is profoundly broken," Segal told Sundberg. Dating app fatigue and cynicism are well-documented, but while many singles are sick of the apps, they don't know where else to turn.

"Readme emerged from a running observation between me and Banu, that even though our friends were constantly in bookstores, we never actually saw anyone have that meme-famous 'meet cute at a bookstore' experience," Segal continued.

The two realized they could create something themselves that would mimic that experience, and believe that someone's taste in books tells you a lot more about their true spirit "than an awkwardly workshopped line on a conventional dating app profile." (Segal recently coined the term "tasteslop," which has a three-pronged definition: Slop made out of things considered tasteful; Tasteful things deployed in service of slop; and repeated discussion in the tech world about the significance of taste.)

Segal told Sundberg that Co-Star users have wanted a dating app, but that astrology, which is Co-Star's main focus, "is only one piece of the puzzle."

It's unclear how the cosmos will play into Readme, but considering it's an offshoot of one of the most well-known astrology apps, it'd be surprising if the zodiac was absent. And fans of Co-Star have claimed the app has "read them to filth," so the name might be a nod to that. Whether AI will factor into the app is also in question, given that Midjourney now owns Co-Star.

The launch party is happening this week, where surely more details will be revealed.

The iPhone 18 line and first foldable iPhone are officially here, which means brand new cases are, too.

The first few weeks after a new phone's release can mean more limited case options. The good news? iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max phones are compatible with iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max cases. The foldable iPhone Duo, however, is another story. As the iPhone Duo size is completely unique, the case options are limited to just Apple and a few other brands as of launch day.

Still, we gathered up the best cases available for the new iPhones so far, whether you're looking for something cute, something protective, or something that brings the best of both worlds. Check them out below.

Note: Most iPhone Duo cases on this list have live product pages, but aren't available to order just yet. We'll keep this list updated as they become available.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max cases

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Credit: Casetify

Casetify Impact Case in Dark Cherry Jelly

$64 at Casetify

 

Shop Now

Why we like it

This look won't be for everyone, but Casetify's Dark Cherry case feels kind of perfect for the new burgundy colorway (especially as it was rumored to be called "dark cherry" before its release). If you're not a fan of this design, Casetify already has plenty of others available for the 18 Pro and Pro Max.

More iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max cases

• Smartish Wallet Case — $34.99

• Casely Blue Hydrangea Case with MagSafe — $35

• Otterbox Figura Series — $39.99

• Velvet Caviar Polka Dot case — $40

• Apple Silicone Case — $49

• CaseMate Jelly Pop Carolina with MagSafe — $50

• Casetify Cloud Case — $52

• Casetify Ripple Case — $56

• Apple TechWoven Case — $59

• Nudient Bold Case — $60

• Casetify Impact Case — $64

• Otterbox Defender Series — $69.99

iPhone Duo cases

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Credit: Apple

Apple iPhone Duo Folio with Kickstand

$129.99 at Apple

 

Learn More

Why we like it

Apple's iPhone Duo Folio case isn't available just yet, but we're intrigued by the design. The kickstand allows for the phone to stay propped up when folded or open, bringing together the best parts of a phone and mini tablet experience. Yeah, $129.99 is steep, but hey, so is $3,199.

More iPhone Duo cases

• Casely Shell Shocked (with MagSafe) — $40

• Velvet Caviar Midnight Stars — $40

• Velvet Caviar Snoopy Moods — $45

• dbrand Grip Case — $54.90

• CaseMate Floral Gems MagSafe — $60

• Otterbox Lumen Series — $69.99

• Spigen Ultra Hybrid Pro S (Mag Fit) — $69.99

• Apple iPhone Duo Case — $79

• MagBak Elite — $89

• Thinborne iPhone Duo case — $89.69

• Otterbox Defender Series Pro XT — $89.99

• Spigen Slim Armor Pro (Mag Fit) — $89.99

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See what our readers guessed would happen at today's Apple event in our Big Guessing Game.

On Wednesday, Apple announced a cornucopia of new products. The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone Duo, AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12, and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are all coming soon, and that's very exciting.

But what about after that? It turns out Apple still probably has some tricks left up its sleeve for the rest of 2026, as the rumor mill anticipates several new product launches before the end of the year. They may not all be as monumental as a foldable iPhone, but some of them are still pretty exciting.

Here are the Apple products we expect to see before the end of 2026.

Two new MacBooks, including one with a touchscreen

Apple tends to launch new MacBook laptops between the annual iPhone event and the end of the year, and 2026 is looking no different. Two new MacBooks, in particular, stand out as products we'll see before the calendar turns.

The first is a MacBook Pro with an M6 chip, which was reported by Bloomberg earlier this year. We admittedly don't know a whole lot about this device yet, but the new chip should come with noticeable gains in performance and battery efficiency, if nothing else. This may not be a particularly revolutionary new MacBook model, which is fine, because the next one might be.

To be more specific, we're expecting a "MacBook Ultra" to launch this year. Reports and Apple's own beta software indicate it will have a touchscreen, which would be new for the MacBook line. It's possible this one will slip into early 2027, but fingers crossed it doesn't, as it'll reportedly have Dynamic Island in an OLED display and a thin chassis.

A new Apple TV 4K

Reports from the likes of Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also suggest we'll get a new Apple TV 4K refresh this year. It's been four years since the last one, so Apple's set-top box is probably due for an upgrade. The main things we know right now are that it will apparently use Apple's in-house WiFi/Bluetooth N1 chip for network connectivity, and it might have a redesigned Siri remote. It could also get Siri AI support, if that's your thing.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

HomePod Mini

You'll never believe this, but yet another report from Gurman earlier this year suggested some more Apple smart home products are on the way in 2026.

First, a new HomePod Mini is allegedly coming this year. It would be the first since all the way back in 2020. It's said to support Siri AI, contain the same N1 chip as the Apple TV 4K, and it might even come in a red color. Exciting! Those changes are on top of expected improvements, like better sound quality.

Home Hub

Last but certainly not least, Apple may have a brand new smart home product called Home Hub launching this year.

This one is supposedly a HomePod-esque device that also has a 7-inch display. It will use facial recognition to know who it looking at the display and change what it's showing, accordingly. Naturally, you'll also be able to do FaceTime calls, play music, display a gallery of your photos, and more. Reports also suggest it'll have a unique operating system that blends elements of homeOS and tvOS.

As always, things can change, and some of these devices might slip into 2027. But if you were worried that Apple was done after the "Surprise and Shine" event, worry not.

What about the iPhone 18?

If you were looking for the iPhone 18 at the iPhone launch event, then you would have been disappointed. Unfortunately for shoppers who want to spend less than $1,000 on a new phone, this is one device we do not expect to launch in 2026. Rumors point to a spring 2027 release date for the base model iPhone 18.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park.

Good news, everyone! Apple's Polishing Cloth is "compatible" with the iPhone Duo.

Mercifully confirmed on Apple's website, the tech giant's microfibre cloth is ready to wipe clean its first foldable smartphone, which was announced at Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event on Wednesday — among many, many things.

Following the event, Apple added its new devices — iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max — to the webpage listing its most Emperor's New Clothes of products. The Polishing Cloth is technically compatible. We're just giving you the facts.

CONFIRMED. Credit: Apple / Mashable screenshot

Apple recently lowered the price on its Polishing Cloth, cutting that $19 price tag into a still-lofty-for-a-cloth $9. Considering the price of the new iPhone Duo, maybe buyers will want to just throw one in for fun.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park.

See what our readers guessed would happen at today's Apple event in our Big Guessing Game

TL;DR: The Apple iPhone 17 is free from T-Mobile when you trade in your eligible phone on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan. The Apple iPhone 17 Pro is also free with T-Mobile — claim by bringing your number on an Experience Beyond plan (no trade-in needed).

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Credit: Apple

T-Mobile: Free iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro

 

Get Deal

Apple just announced a new lineup of phones, including the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, and the long-awaited folding iPhone Duo. Notably missing was the base model iPhone 18, which is rumored to be released in spring 2027. If the Pro models seem like overkill and you're not quite sold on a folding Apple phone yet, sticking with the iPhone 17 is your best bet for now.

And if you switch to T-Mobile or trade in your existing phone, you could get the iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Pro for free. All of these deals are live now:

• iPhone 17e — free when you switch to almost any qualifying T-Mobile plan (no trade-in required).

• iPhone 17 — free on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan when you turn in an eligible trade-in device.

• iPhone 17 Pro — free when you bring your existing number over to an Experience Beyond plan (no trade-in required).

T-Mobile requires you to pay local sales tax on the phone's full retail value upfront, along with a standard $35 device connection fee per line at checkout. Are these really "free" deals when you need to pay something upfront? It's a gray area, OK? Anyway, it's a small price to pay for a new iPhone.

Score the Apple iPhone 17 for free this week from T-Mobile.

Apple just announced the $1,199 iPhone 18 Pro and the $1,999 foldable iPhone Duo. If you were hoping to soften those prices by trading in your current phone, however, Apple may have some bad news for you.

Following its "Surprise and Shine" event, Apple updated its trade-in program and lowered the maximum amount it will pay for previously eligible iPhone models.

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An iPhone 16 Pro Max is now worth up to $610, down from $720. The iPhone 16 Pro took an even larger hit, dropping from as much as $630 to $510 — a $120 reduction. Some depreciation is expected whenever Apple releases a new generation of iPhones, but the timing is particularly notable because Apple had raised trade-in values for many of these same devices just last month. In August, the iPhone 16 Pro Max jumped from $695 to $720. Following this week's event, it's down to $610.

The cuts continue throughout Apple's older lineup. An iPhone 15 Pro Max is now worth up to $455, down from $530, while the iPhone 15 Pro fell from $420 to $370. Maximum trade-in values for the iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro dropped to $360 and $285, respectively.

Here are some of the most notable changes:

• iPhone 16 Pro Max: Up to $610, down from $720

• iPhone 16 Pro: Up to $510, down from $630

• iPhone 16 Plus: Up to $430, down from $485

• iPhone 16: Up to $430, down from $480

• iPhone 16e: Up to $270, down from $310

• iPhone 15 Pro Max: Up to $455, down from $530

• iPhone 15 Pro: Up to $370, down from $420

• iPhone 15: Up to $305, down from $335

• iPhone 14 Pro Max: Up to $360, down from $405

• iPhone 14 Pro: Up to $285, down from $335

Apple also added last year's iPhone 17 lineup to the trade-in program. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is eligible for up to $885, while the iPhone 17 Pro tops out at $785. Both the iPhone Air and standard iPhone 17 are worth up to $585.

Interestingly, those starting values are more generous than what Apple offered for the previous generation when it became eligible for trade-in. Last year's iPhone 16 Pro Max, for example, initially topped out at $700, compared with $885 for the iPhone 17 Pro Max today.

There may also be a small silver lining for anyone trading in a less-than-pristine device. Apple is reportedly becoming more forgiving of minor cosmetic damage, including small chips or cracks in the display. That could mean some damaged iPhones receive better assessments than they would have under the previous system, even as maximum trade-in values decline.

And the reductions aren't universal. They primarily affect iPhones. Every eligible iPad gained value, with the iPad Pro jumping from $720 to $905. Most Macs also received increases: The MacBook Pro rose from $855 to $1,315, while the Mac Studio climbed from $1,305 to $1,460. Apple Watch values were generally reduced or left unchanged.

Of course, these figures represent the most Apple will offer, not guaranteed payouts. The final amount depends on the device and its condition after inspection. Still, the timing stings: Apple's newest iPhones are more expensive, while many of the devices customers might use to help pay for them are suddenly worth less.

Apple announced its latest rugged wearable, the Apple Watch Ultra 4, during its "Surprise and Shine" iPhone event on Wednesday. It's joined by the new flagship Apple Watch Series 12, some new AirPods, the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, and the long-rumored foldable iPhone Duo.

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 will start at $799, the same price as last year's Apple Watch Ultra 3. It also has the same design as its predecessor, but adds faster performance, a longer battery life, and new health and fitness features. Here's a rundown of its upgrades.

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 introduces new Health Sensing System, S11 chip

Credit: Apple

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is the latest iteration of Apple's biggest, most durable, and most expensive smartwatch. In a press release, the company called it "the ultimate sports and adventure watch" and "the most comprehensive wearable across health, fitness, and safety."

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 supports a new Health Sensing System that takes more accurate, continuous heart rate readings. That includes more heart rate variability (HRV) measurements to gauge cardiovascular stress and recovery indicators, Apple said. Users will be able to compare their daytime and nighttime HRV measurements.

The Health Sensing System also adds a Readiness fitness score that tells the user how prepared they are for certain workout activities based on past training sessions.

Credit: Apple

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 will work with iPhones' newly revamped Health app (out later this year), which will have a Longevity tab and use vision-based AI models to analyze users' movements for flexibility, balance, and more.

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 runs on the new S11 chip, which will power new "Audio Intelligence" features (also coming later this year). These include a "Live Rewind" tool that can transcribe 15 seconds of conversations, "Siri Recap" conversation summaries, and "Sound Recognition" alerts for users who are deaf and hard of hearing.

Credit: Apple

Privacy-wise, Apple said Audio Intelligence features "do not create or store audio recordings," and that raw audio is processed separately from the rest of the system before it's deleted. Apple, on-board apps, and even the user themselves can't access it.

The Health Sensing System, redesigned Health app, and Audio Intelligence features will also be available on the standard Apple Watch Series 12.

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 will offer up to 50 hours of battery life, up from 42 in the previous generation. In low power mode, it maxes out at 84 hours per charge. Apple said its "charging is now faster than ever," with just 15 minutes on an outlet translating to 18 hours of use.

Credit: Apple

The Apple Watch Ultra 4's case comes in the same standard colors as the Ultra 3 — black titanium and natural titanium — but its Alpine Loop, Trail Loop, and Ocean Band come in new hues. A luxe Apple Watch Hermès Ultra 4 variant will be available with a new extendable Grand H titanium band for $3,149. (It otherwise starts at $1,499.)

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is set for release on Friday, Sept. 18, and preorders begin today.

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Credit: Apple

Apple Watch Ultra 4

$799 at the Apple Store

 

Pre-order Here

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park.

At Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event, newly minted CEO John Ternus unveiled the long-anticipated foldable, the iPhone Duo. Before we got to that big announcement though, Ternus and the Apple team showed off the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. The iPhone announcements ended there with no regular iPhone 18 announced.

Apple CEO, John Ternus, showed off the iPhone Duo. But the regular iPhone 18 wasn't mentioned. Credit: Apple

The tech giant instead focused on three premium iPhone models, with the iPhone 18 Pro starting at $1,199 and the iPhone Duo starting at $1,999. This breaks from Apple's September tradition of releasing the full lineup of iPhones. Apple likely didn't want to overcrowd its announcements, especially with the high-profile launch of the iPhone Duo. But does that mean Apple is skipping the regular iPhone 18?

Going into the event, there were already rumors that Apple wasn't going to release the regular iPhone 18 just yet. Instead, the iPhone 18, along with the 18e and a new iPhone Air, is rumored to be coming March 2027. So if you wanted a more affordable iPhone model, you'll potentially need to wait another six months.

Until then, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will be available for preorder Sept. 12, while the iPhone Duo will be available for preorder Oct. 16. Plus, Apple still has the iPhone 17 and 17e available for purchase.

Apple took the wraps off its latest hardware lineup today, closing the book on months of leaks, dummy units, and supply chain chatter with an event at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park. The keynote marked John Ternus's first turn on stage as Apple's CEO, following Tim Cook's move to executive chairman after 15 years running the company.

For his first keynote after taking charge just a week ago, Ternus made sure to make viewers aware of how deeply Apple Intelligence is threaded throughout the Apple ecosystem.

And there was plenty to weave it through. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max arrived with a new burgundy finish replacing last year's divisive cosmic orange, massive battery gains, and a camera system that finally delivers on manual controls and a variable aperture. To outdo the iPhone Pro's turn into a pocket-sized DSLR, Ternus dropped one of Apple's most exciting product announcements in years: the iPhone Duo.

Now that the keynote has wrapped, here's a rundown of everything Apple announced, how it stacks up, and what's worth knowing before you decide whether to upgrade.

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max

Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

Apple's Pro smartphone lineup gets what the company describes as its "most advanced camera system yet," built around a 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera with variable aperture — a first for iPhone. Six "laser-cut blades" automatically adjust across four aperture settings to manage depth of field and lighting, while a new sensor is designed to improve low-light shooting and group-photo detail.

A new "Pro controls" interface lets photographers manually adjust aperture, shutter speed, and white balance, and check exposure with an onscreen histogram; an API also lets external developers access the aperture range. The phones also introduce Apple Reference Image, a feature that captures signed sensor data processed through Apple's Private Cloud Compute to create an unalterable reference photo alongside the main image. In plainer terms, it's basically a digital negative that confirms what was in the original shot vs. the edited one.

Both phones run on the new A20 Pro chip, built on a 2-nanometer process with a 6-core CPU, 7-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine that Apple says doubles the AI processing power of the previous A19 Pro. The Dynamic Island has also been redesigned to display up to three Live Activities at once.

Battery life sees a notable jump, particularly on the Pro Max, which Apple says can deliver up to 45 hours of video playback in eSIM-only configuration, which is the largest battery-life increase in iPhone history, according to the company. The phones also introduce Apple's next-generation C2 cellular modem, which the company says delivers faster uploads than its predecessor while using 15 percent less power.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max come in black, silver, glacier, and a "dangerously chic" burgundy. Rest in peace, cosmic orange. Both phones are also getting a $100 price hike with the 18 Pro and Pro Max starting at $1,199 and $1,299, respectively.

Pre-orders begin Sept. 12, with availability starting Sept. 18.

iPhone Duo arrives: Price, release date revealed

Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

It's been awhile since Apple launched a phone that genuinely excited the growing audience of tech skeptics. To wrap the keynote, Ternus introduced iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable phone. Ternus and company are very confident about Duo, taking shots at the likes of Samsung and Motorola, contrasting it with their foldables as "two phones stuck together."

When opened, the Duo has a 7.6-inch inner display and, according to Apple, is the thinnest iPhone ever made; when closed, a 5.4-inch outer display offers 90 percent of the iPhone 18 Pro's screen area. Both screens share the same aspect ratio, so content scales consistently between them, and a nano-texture finish is designed to cut glare and minimize the visibility of the fold crease.

Folded, it's about the size of a passport, with rounded corners and a continuous frame that genuinely looks unexpectedly cool in person.

iPhone Duo runs on the same A20 Pro chip as the Pro models and includes dual batteries that Apple says work together to deliver up to 44 hours of video playback using the outer display alone. The folding form factor enables several camera-specific features, including Smart Take, which uses on-device AI to automatically capture a photo when it detects subjects posing, and Duo FaceTime, which lets a nearby person join a video call through the outer display and camera.

Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

iOS 27 has been adapted specifically for the device, moving controls to the side of the screen to preserve vertical space and introducing Split View, which allows two apps to run side by side on an iPhone for the first time.

iPhone Duo is available in Star White and Night Sky finishes, starting at $1,999. Pre-orders open Oct. 16, and ship on Oct. 23.

AirPods 5 improves ANC, sound quality

Credit: Apple

The 5th-gen AirPods are here with Active Noise Cancellation, with the company saying the feature removes up to 50 percent more external noise than AirPods 4 with ANC. A new multiport acoustic architecture and an updated Adaptive EQ are designed to improve sound quality, while Apple Intelligence-powered Live Translation lets wearers hear conversations translated into their preferred language.

The standard AirPods 5 are priced at $129, while a version with a wireless charging case, longer battery life, and on-stem volume control is priced at $149.

Credit: Apple

Both are available for pre-order now and will ship on Sept. 18.

Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Apple Watch Series 12 add new health features

Credit: Apple

Apple refreshed both ends of its watch lineup, the Series 12 and Ultra 4, around a shared new Health Sensing System that the company says provides the most accurate heart rate sensing of any wearable.

Powered by the new S11 chip in both models, the watches measure heart rate every 5 seconds throughout the day, while heart rate variability is now measured every 5 minutes. Both watches also introduce a "readiness" feature that combines recent activity, training load, vitals, and sleep data into a daily 0-10 score paired with one of four recommendations: Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready, or Go For It.

The S11 chip also enables a new Audio Intelligence suite on both watches, built on Apple Intelligence and Private Cloud Compute. It includes Sound Recognition, which alerts deaf or hard-of-hearing users to sounds like sirens, alarms or doorbells; Live Rewind, which replays the previous 15 seconds of conversation as a text snippet with a double press of the Digital Crown; Siri Recap, which generates summaries, not transcripts, of conversations; and Shazam-based music identification.

Apple says that the audio conversations on your watch are processed on-device and deleted immediately afterward. The company also stated that summaries don't identify who's speaking and that users must opt in to each feature individually.

With watchOS 27, both models also gain access to Siri AI through a new Siri app and a dedicated Siri Modular watch face. Where the two models diverge is on ruggedness, battery life, and design.

The Ultra 4 comes in a neat titanium finish in this Hermès variant. Credit: Apple

Apple Watch Ultra 4, aimed at athletes and outdoor use, offers up to 50 hours of everyday battery life and up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode, with a Max Extended Workout mode that can track outdoor activity for up to 45 hours; it comes in natural and black titanium, starting at $799.

Apple Watch Series 12 delivers 24 hours of everyday battery life, with a 25 percent boost to 10 hours during outdoor workouts, and comes in 42mm and 46mm sizes across aluminum, titanium, and a new ceramic option, starting at $399.

Both watches can be pre-ordered right now and will ship on Sept. 18.

Redesigned Health App

Credit: Apple

Apple is also updating its Health app, arriving later this year on iPhone, with a new Insights tab that summarizes daily health data and a Longevity tab that introduces "Health Age," a metric that estimates how a user's health indicators compare with their chronological age.

The app will let users schedule lab tests covering more than 50 biomarkers for $119 at Quest Diagnostics locations across the U.S., and will add at-home movement assessments that use the iPhone camera and vision-based AI models to evaluate flexibility, strength, and balance.

The Health app is also adding support for logging perimenopause and menopause within Cycle Tracking, along with notifications for users 40 and older who show cycle patterns suggestive of perimenopause.

Siri AI features arrive soon

Credit: Apple

It's finally here. After two long years since it was announced (which is an eternity in gen-AI development and scaling), Apple's revamped Apple Intelligence Siri will be released with iOS 27 later this month.

Similar to other AI-powered digital assistants, Siri AI is framed as a personal chatbot and assistant that draws on personal context, i.e., your messages, emails, photos, and other on-device information to answer questions, take action based on what's on a user's screen, and carry out tasks in third-party apps. It is rolling out in beta with iOS 27 across iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone Duo, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5.

Much of what Siri AI can do on iOS 27 was covered at its reveal at Apple's WWDC event back in June. The short rundown of Siri AI capabilities on iPhone is onscreen awareness and a camera-integrated mode that can answer questions about what a user is looking at.

On iPhone Duo, an all-new Siri app preserves conversation history synced through iCloud. On Apple Watch, Siri AI is accessible through a new Siri app and a dedicated Siri Modular watch face. On AirPods, users can respond to Siri hands-free using head gestures.

Apple said the assistant relies on on-device processing and its Private Cloud Compute system to handle more complex requests while keeping personal data encrypted and inaccessible to Apple.

Apple Intelligence, which underpins Siri AI along with features like Live Translation and the Health app's insights, becomes available with iOS 27 on Sept. 14 for supported devices set to one of 16 supported languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese and Korean, among others.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park. See what our readers guessed would happen at today's Apple event in our Big Guessing Game.

UPDATE: Sep. 9, 2026, 5:43 p.m. EDT This article has been updated with some original photos from the Apple event.

Apple’s "Surprise and shine" keynote today made the $1,999 iPhone Duo look almost impossibly seamless. But now that people at Apple Park are actually opening, closing, folding, and gaming on the device, we have a better idea of what Apple’s first foldable looks like in real life.

The short version: It looks impressively thin, the software responds quickly as the phone changes shape, and the crease isn’t quite as invisible as Apple’s presentation suggested (though it comes pretty close). Here are some early glimpses we’ve spotted so far — first and foremost from Mashable's Senior Editor, Stan Schroeder, who’s on the ground at the Apple event.

Mashable’s Stan Schroeder holds the unfolded iPhone Duo, showing its thin profile and subtle center crease. Credit: Mashable, Stan Schroeder

Mashable’s Stan Schroeder tests the iPhone Duo’s camera on its large inner display. Credit: Mashable, Stan Schroeder

Early reactions were largely enthusiastic. Tech creator Max Weinbach called the iPhone Duo the "bar none best foldable," and was taken by the under-display camera, calling it "wild." "I wasn’t expecting that."

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Tech reviewer and Mashable 101 honoree iJustine, or Justine Ezarik, showed how compact the fully opened device looks when held in two hands, writing that the product is "amazingggg."

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Ezarik also demonstrated what it looked like to watch Netflix's "Clips" feature, which provides a vertical video feed, as well as an episode of Wednesday.

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She also showed off the Duo’s camera, including how the foldable design and outer display can be used while framing a shot.

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YouTube streamer IShowSpeed was similarly captivated while trying the phone during a livestream, repeatedly folding and unfolding it as viewers in the chat reacted, who were also impressed.

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A clip posted by journalist Geoff Keighley specifically highlighted the sleek animation when folding the Duo from its larger, tablet-like display into its compact outer screen. "I thought the transition to the inner display was just for show, but it’s so cool it’s as advertised in-person," replied one user.

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Keighley also tested games running across the open display in three perspectives enabled by the hinge. "Pokémon Go and watching TikToks on one mobile device is gonna be cool," wrote another user.

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The responses online haven't been universally glowing. Some people compared the shape to Microsoft’s Surface Duo or a Nintendo DS. Others questioned whether games would stutter as the display moved between positions.

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Senior Editor at Gizmodo, Ray Wong, gave a different perspective of the Duo, taping it from several angles as he opened and closed it. Viewed straight on, the 7.6-inch display looks nearly continuous, but tilt the phone toward an overhead light, and a subtle vertical crease becomes visible through the center.

"Can definitely see the screen crease at certain angles,” Wong wrote. Replies largely agreed that some kind of crease remains unavoidable on a folding screen, although several people noted that lighting and viewing angle appear to make a substantial difference. "They are magicians, not Gods!" one user pointed out.

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Another felt completely differently, writing, "Wow. the crease is really seamless."

If you want to unfold the iPhone Duo for yourself, you’ll get your chance when it reaches customers on Oct. 23.

The rumour mill can rest, as Apple’s foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, has been unveiled. And competitors are already hitting social media with pure cheek.

Announced at Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event on Wednesday, the tech giant's expensive new folding device was the talk of Cupertino, California, and beyond. Apple's answer to the foldables of competitors like Samsung and Google, the iPhone Duo has a 7.6-inch inner display that can fold in half.

Following the reveal, Apple competitor Samsung, which revealed its own Galaxy Z Fold 8 in July, hit X with an unsubtle tweet.

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But it wasn't just smartphone makers freaking out about Apple's new foldable. The team behind Duolingo, the language app, apparently realise it shares a name with the device, with the official account spiralling about SEO and @ing new Apple CEO John Ternus.

"It's called the iPhone WHAT???" a Duolingo tweet reads.

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Jumping on the bandwagon, American dictionary Merriam-Webster threw in a tweet. "Not to brag, but our product has been foldable since 1828," the official account wrote, with quintessential "just gonna leave this here" energy.

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The iPhone Duo is undeniably Apple's buzziest device announced today, and Mashable's Olivia Tauber has all the details.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park. See what our readers guessed would happen at today's Apple event in our Big Guessing Game.

It's finally here. The long-rumored, highly anticipated first-ever foldable device from Apple has arrived.

And it's the most expensive iPhone ever.

Apple unveiled the foldable known as the iPhone Duo at its big "Surprise and Shine" iPhone event on Wednesday. And Apple seems to have delivered. The sentiment across the internet seems fairly positive.

If you're an Apple fan, you'll probably want an iPhone Duo. Maybe that is, until you see the price.

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for the 256GB storage model. That's the most expensive starting price for an iPhone ever, but it's actually cheaper than the rumored price previously reported by analysts. There was an expectation that the iPhone Duo base model could have launched at as much as $2,300.

However, if you're looking to max out the iPhone Duo to its highest storage capacity of 2TB, you might be in for some sticker shock.

A 2TB iPhone Duo will set you back $3,199. That's the most expensive iPhone ever. Period.

The 2TB iPhone Duo is a whopping $700 more than the brand new iPhone 18 Pro Max with 2TB of storage. 

In fact, the 2TB iPhone 18 Pro Max, which will retail for $2,499, is even less expensive than the 1TB iPhone Duo, which will launch at $2,599. That's a difference of a whole terabyte, and you're still paying $100 more for the iPhone Duo with half the storage space.

Apple fans will certainly be paying a premium for the company's first-ever foldable device.

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Apple’s first foldable iPhone comes with a radically different design — and a $1,999 starting price — but it retains one of the iPhone’s most familiar charging features.

Yes, the iPhone Duo supports MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging at up to 25W. Apple says the phone can wirelessly charge to 50 percent in about 30 minutes when used with a MagSafe or Qi2 charger and a compatible power adapter rated at 35W or higher.

That support extends to Apple’s new accessories for the foldable device. The iPhone Duo Case and iPhone Duo Folio with Kickstand both contain built-in magnets that align with MagSafe and Qi2 chargers. In other words, users won’t have to remove the case whenever the phone needs a charge.

The two-part Duo Case wraps around both sides of the foldable phone and will be available in Sand and Navy Blue for $79. Apple’s $129 Duo Folio comes in Navy Blue and Taupe and includes a kickstand that can hold the phone at different angles for reading, watching videos, or making FaceTime calls.

Both accessories, along with the iPhone Duo, go on sale for preorders on Oct. 16. Availability starts Oct. 23.

Credit: Screenshot: Apple

How fast does the iPhone Duo charge?

If wireless charging isn’t fast enough, the iPhone Duo can reach 50 percent in around 20 minutes over a wired connection. Achieving that speed requires a USB-C cable rated for at least 60W and a compatible USB Power Delivery adapter.

Wireless charging takes around 10 minutes longer to reach the same level. Apple conducted its MagSafe testing with a 40W Dynamic Power Adapter, although the company says an adapter rated at 35W or higher is required for the fastest supported wireless charging speed.

Actual charging times will vary based on the adapter, temperature, settings, and how the phone is being used.

What is the iPhone Duo’s battery life?

Instead of trying to fit a single large battery around the folding display, Apple placed high-energy batteries on each side of the iPhone Duo. Software then manages them as a single dual-battery system.

Apple rates the Duo for up to 31 hours of video playback on its 7.6-inch inner display or up to 44 hours on the smaller 5.4-inch outer display. With usage divided evenly between the two displays, Apple estimates up to 24 hours per charge.

The phone’s A20 Pro chip and custom vapor chamber also help manage power and heat during gaming, multitasking, and AI workloads.

What else should you know about the iPhone Duo?

The $1,999 iPhone Duo is Apple’s first book-style foldable smartphone. When closed, it is roughly the size of a passport and provides a 5.4-inch outer display. Opening it reveals a 7.6-inch screen—the largest display Apple has put in an iPhone.

The Duo supports Apple Pencil via USB-C, runs two apps side by side, and can save app pairings for later use. Its hinge also lets the device support itself for hands-free video, FaceTime, time-lapse recording, or StandBy mode.

Other features include Touch ID in the side button, two 48-megapixel rear cameras, Spatial Audio, Ceramic Shield protection, and an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. It comes in Star White and Night Sky, with storage options ranging from 256GB to 2TB.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park.

See what our readers guessed would happen at today's Apple event in our Big Guessing Game.

Apple revealed the AirPods 5 wireless earbuds on Wednesday at its "Surprise and Shine" keynote event.

The AirPods 4 were announced two years ago, and the new version features some key upgrades. Like their predecessor, the new AirPods 5 come with two models. Unlike the previous gen, both feature active noise cancellation — but this doesn't result in a price hike.

In fact, the lower-tier model features ANC for $129, matching the price of the non-ANC model of the AirPods 4. The higher tier model goes for $149, which is $30 cheaper than the $179 AirPods 4 with ANC. This is especially notable in a time where most Apple prices have only gone up — including on the newly announced iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.

The AirPods 5 and AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case are available for preorder now, with a release date of Friday, Sept. 18.

Here's what we else know about the newest addition to the AirPods lineup.

The Apple AirPods 5 features better noise cancellation, lower prices

The volume stem on the AirPods 5 with wireless charging allows for more on-device control. Credit: Screenshot / Apple

We were expecting new AirPods with cameras at the September Apple event, but an update to the regular AirPods was also rumored in recent weeks.

The Apple AirPods 5 come with notable new features, including:

• Two models with and without ANC, priced at $129 and $149

• Updated adaptive EQ, which helps power better spatial audio

• 50% more active noise cancellation than the AirPods 4

• Improved transparency mode for a more natural sound

• On the $149 model, a wireless charging case, and volume adjustment on the earbud stem

AirPods 5 vs. AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case

Despite the name, there's more of a difference between the two AirPods 5 models than just their charging cases.

• Battery life: The$149 AirPods 5 feature five hours per charge with ANC, besting the battery life of the AirPods 4 with ANC by one hour. With the case, these earbuds offer 22 hours of battery life.

• Volume control: For the first time on non-Pro earbuds, the stem of the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case has a force sensor volume swipe control on the stem.

• Wireless charging: The case on the more expensive AirPods 5 can be charged with an Apple Watch charger, Qi-compatible charger, and USB-C charger (which was available on the AirPods 4 with ANC).

Open-ear AirPods?

Technically, non-Pro versions of the AirPods have always been open-ear earbuds. That said, AirPods don't follow the model of most other open earbud models (that is, cuff or ear hook style buds).

Yes, there isn't an ear tip that sits in the ear canal, but the earbud is situated more as a semi-in ear bud than most other earbuds, which leave the ear canal completely unobstructed.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park.

With Apple Intelligence, you don't need to worry about emails or texts or calendar alerts. You can clear your skin and track your health stats and even generate entirely new realities.

And with Siri AI's Recap and Live Rewind, debuted at the Apple September iPhone event, it'll keep track of your memories, too.

What do Live Rewind and Siri Recap do?

Announced Wednesday, Apple's new AI-powered audio features catch ambient audio of your live conversations in the background, analyzes them, and throws summaries, highlights, and direct quotes right back at you.

Forget the directions the stranger gave you? Siri's got you. Missed the thing your boss said? Siri is a great assistant. Didn't pay attention to the emotional story your best friend just recounted? Um — Hey Siri?

Apple's data collection feature calls to mind hardware devices like Pocket and Plaud, and AI recording and note-taking apps like Granola, which have become popular in Silicon Valley. The tool stirred immediate privacy concerns among Apple fans, with some likening it to a covert recording device — and once again calling to mind future data-mining technologies featured in Netflix sci-fi drama Black Mirror.

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When activated, Live Rewind uses that ambient recording ability to recount the last 15 seconds of audio captured in your vicinity, which can be saved to your device or described back to you instantly. Recap actively takes notes on conversations throughout your day, then offers up AI-generated summaries of what happened.

It's part of a fleet of Audio Intelligence features debuting with the new microphone aboard the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, including enhanced sound and music recognition.

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Do these features collect your personal data?

Like its other Apple Intelligence features, Apple said during its presentation that recorded conversations for Siri AI's Recap and Live Rewind are end-to-end encrypted. Devices do not collect or store actual audio recordings, the company added, and Siri will not identify specific speakers or attribute quotes to named individuals.

Raw audio data — which Apple is adamant to describe not as exact transcripts, but as notes — is not accessible by app developers, users, or Apple itself.

Apple also added built-in content guardrails, which were not elaborated on during Wednesday's keynote. According to a blog post by Apple, Recaps are designed to "omit potentially harmful content." This means mentions of self-harm and hate speech won't be included in daily summaries. Similarly, Apple says Siri will filter out mentions of personally identifiable information like financial information or "authentication data" (passwords).

"While audio is not recorded and stored, and no speakers are attributed, consider those around you where conversations might be private or sensitive," Apple wrote.

Live Rewind with Siri Recap will be available in beta this fall, starting in English.

UPDATE: Sep. 9, 2026, 1:43 p.m. This story was updated with additional information on privacy protections for Live Rewind and Siri Recap.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park.

Want more tech news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today, and see what our readers guessed would happen at today's Apple event in our Big Guessing Game.

The line between a phone camera and a professional camera just got a little bit blurrier.

At its "Surprise and Shine" event on Wednesday, Apple introduced a variable-aperture main camera for both the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max — giving creators a new level of control over light, focus, and the overall look of an image.

So, what exactly is a variable aperture? Put simply, the aperture is the opening inside a camera lens that determines how much light reaches the sensor. Previous iPhones used a fixed opening, which meant the phone had to rely heavily on software to adapt to different lighting conditions. The iPhone 18 Pro can physically widen or narrow that opening depending on the scene.

Variable aperture gives iPhone creators more control over light and depth of field. Credit: Screenshot: Apple

To make that possible inside a phone, Apple developed a system of six laser-cut blades, each thinner than a human hair. Made from a specialized polymer composite, the blades are designed to be light and flexible enough to move quickly while remaining durable over time.

Credit: Screenshot: Apple

That tiny mechanical change could make a noticeable difference. In darker environments, the aperture opens to let in around 50 percent more light. In brighter conditions, it can close down to manage exposure while keeping more of the scene in focus.

And for creators, that means more control over depth of field and a more naturally cinematic look without relying entirely on digitally simulated background blur.

A wider aperture lets the iPhone 18 Pro capture more light—and more detail after dark. Credit: Screenshot: Apple

Apple is also extending that flexibility beyond the moment of capture. Creators can apply Cinematic mode effects to regular video after it has been recorded, while 60-frames-per-second support allows footage to be slowed to half speed. Together, those additions make it easier to decide on a creative treatment during editing, rather than getting every setting perfectly right while filming.

Add a cinematic look to regular video, even after you’ve captured it. Credit: Screenshot: Apple

But Apple's push isn’t only about making images look more professional. It is also tackling a growing challenge created by AI: Proving that a photograph is real in the first place.

That's where the new "Apple Reference Image" comes in. The authentication system uses information captured by the iPhone's camera sensor at the moment a photo is taken, including a unique signature at the pixel level. Think of it as a secure digital negative — a hardware-backed link between the finished image and the physical camera that captured it.

Apple Reference Image helps creators prove a photo started with a real iPhone camera. Credit: Screenshot: Apple

Here’s why that matters, especially right now. Most attempts to combat synthetic media focus on labeling AI-generated images or detecting them after they begin circulating. Apple is clearly approaching the problem from the opposite direction, and gives creators a way to demonstrate that an image originated with a real camera.

See what our readers guessed would happen at today's Apple event in our Big Guessing Game.

Photographers can use a dedicated Reference mode in the Camera app. When an image needs to be verified, Apple’s Private Cloud Compute checks its raw data, capture timeframe and identifying characteristics of the sensor while limiting the information Apple retains. An authenticated image then receives a Reference badge that can be inspected on an iPhone, iPad or Mac.

The Reference Image badge shows who captured the photo, where it was taken and the camera settings used. Credit: Screenshot: Apple