Subsequent week, we’ve Samsung‘s first Galaxy Unpacked occasion of 2025, however earlier than we will get there, we have seen every week crammed with tech bulletins.
Leaks for the occasion have been a dime a dozen, however we additionally noticed the long-awaited Nintendo Swap 2 announcement, game-breaking Home windows 11 updates, and saved updated with the most recent TikTok ban information.
This is our recap of the week’s largest tech information in case you missed it. What a speedy overview.
While you’re achieved, be at liberty to take a look at our picks for the 7 new motion pictures and TV reveals to stream this weekend (January 17).
Nintendo Switched issues ups
After years of hypothesis, hype, and rumors, the Nintendo Swap successor lastly broke cowl with Nintendo releasing a Nintendo Swap 2 trailer. Artistic identify apart, the brief teaser confirmed us a lot – it confirmed the console and its display are bigger than earlier than (we’ve heard it’s now an 8-inch show from leaks), confirmed us the brand new button on the correct JoyCon, and gave us a brand new kickstand design for the console, alongside clips of a brand new Mario Kart title (whereas many are calling it Mario Kart 9, if Nintendo counts Tour as a mainline recreation this may be Mario Kart 10).
Although it’s gentle on specifics, there’s so much we nonetheless aren’t sure of from this trailer alone; most significantly, it’s unclear how a lot the console will price when it’s launched and what its specs are.
For these particulars, we’ll have to look at this house and wait to see what Nintendo proclaims subsequent.
TikTok confronted its finish… for now
TikTok’s US ban has been looming for a while, but it surely got here into focus this week as we method January 19 – the day it comes into full power. Customers afraid of shedding the app took to rival companies, however not simply Instagram’s Reels and YouTube’s Shorts. Chinese language-made options resembling RedNote and likewise Lemon8 (which is owned by ByteDance, similar to TikTok) proved standard.
There have been hopes that the US Supreme Courtroom would cease TikTok’s app retailer execution, however they haven’t, and whereas on the time of writing, there are experiences the US Authorities may not implement any fines associated to the ban at first that has but to be confirmed. All TikTok followers have left to carry onto is that when Donald Trump steps in as President on January 20, he may work to overturn the ban – a ban which he has been a vocal opponent of regardless of being one among TikTok’s authentic detractors.
We’re not holding our breath, however maybe this time subsequent week, we’ll all be again to sharing dances on the clock app.
Samsung’s Unpacked bulletins leaked
Samsung Unpacked occasion (which might be held on Tuesday, January 22) would possibly nonetheless be days away, however we would already know every little thing there may be to know concerning the model’s upcoming smartphone bulletins due to leaks.
This consists of the full specs and colour choices for your entire three-phone lineup (made up of the Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and Galaxy S25 Extremely), particulars of AI enhancements, together with a brand new morning temporary function, and even the Samsung Galaxy S25’s jazzy new ringtone (which Samsung itself launched early).
As with all leaks, we must always take these particulars with a pinch of salt till Samsung makes an official announcement, however with that occuring pretty shortly, we don’t have lengthy to attend and see what it has up its sleeve for us.
Apple’s 2025 roadmap leaked
Talking of leaks, Apple’s iPhone and iPad roadmap for 2025 was teased by reporter and respected tipster Mark Gurman this week (by way of a paywalled Bloomberg article), with him detailing what tech we must always see within the subsequent 12 months.
The primary is the iPhone SE 4 with Apple Intelligence and Face ID, which can land in Q1 or early Q2. Then, alongside it, Gurman says we’ll get the iPad 11 with an A17 Professional chipset (similar to the iPhone 15 Professional) and 8GB of RAM, which ought to imply it’s highly effective sufficient to boast Apple Intelligence.
Someday in Spring, Gurman says we must always get a brand new iPad Air with an M4 chipset to convey it according to the most recent iPad Professional fashions, after which rounding out the 12 months would be the blockbuster iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Professional, iPhone 17 Professional Max, and iPhone 17 Air (or probably simply iPhone Air) launches.
Home windows 11 24H2 broke video games
It’s the identical story once more for Microsoft’s Home windows 11 and its 24H2 replace, inflicting issues for a number of customers. This time round, avid gamers are annoyed with the performance of their video games, notably Ubisoft’s Murderer’s Creed Odyssey, after Valhalla and Origins acquired patches to repair fixed crashes.
Whereas it is simple to level the finger at Ubisoft builders, the 24H2 replace has been a long-lasting irritant to the consumer expertise, with quite a few bugs pushing some individuals away from working programs (at the very least for now).
Valve introduced that SteamOS might be coming to different handheld gaming PCs, offering avid gamers with an incredible different. Additionally, a local cloud picture, Bazzite, working SteamOS (not affiliated with Valve), can be utilized on desktop PCs, so Microsoft must get its act collectively earlier than probably shedding loads of customers.
DJI launched a first-of-its-kind drone
DJI unveiled the brand new and distinctive Flip, a multi-use drone for novices not like something we have seen earlier than. Its Star Wars spacecraft-like physique options folding propellors with guards, which means you’ll be able to fly safely up shut, armed with auto-tracking flight modes and 4K movies as much as 60fps, plus gradual movement 100fps clips.
It is finally like a bigger, pricier, and supercharged DJI Neo – though the latter presents FPV flight – so take a look at our DJI Flip vs DJI Neo article to find the important thing variations. Throughout our in-depth DJI Flip evaluate, we discovered that you simply get higher 4K video and 48MP photos than the Neo, with the standard approaching what you will get from DJI’s Mini 4 Professional with out fairly hitting those self same heights.
Finally, what’s most distinct concerning the DJI Flip is its first-of-kind folding design, which nonetheless falls inside the 249g-and-lighter class of drones that is largely restriction-free.
OpenAI predicted AGI in 2025
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman predicts we’ll obtain AGI (synthetic basic intelligence, often known as superintelligence) “as we’ve historically understood it” in 2025 – a daring prediction for the 12 months.
AGI is a kind of AI that matches and even surpasses a human’s cognitive capabilities throughout a broad vary of cognitive duties in comparison with present AI fashions, which might solely try and match individuals in a couple of particular areas. It’s what sci-fi has skilled us to think about after we consider AI.
This may be a significant development within the AI area, with many consultants saying AGI would result in a revolution not like something we’ve seen to this point. For now, we’ll need to take Sam Altman’s phrase that AGI is sort of right here, however we might be in for a wild 2025 if his prediction is right.