Lumus got a major boost in brand recognition when one of its waveguides was selected for use in the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses. But that already feels like old tech now because at CES 2026, the company brought some of its latest components to the show and based on what I saw, they seem poised to seriously elevate the optical quality of the next wave of high-end smartglasses.
When the Meta Ray-Ban Displays glasses came out, they wowed users as they were (and still are) one of a handful of smartglassess to feature a full-color in-lens display with at least a 20-degree field of view. But going by the specs on Lumus’ newest waveguides, we’re set for a major upgrade in terms of future capabilities.
If you look closely, you can see where light from the waveguide propagates into the one of the smartglasses’ lenses. (Sam Rutherford for Engadget)
The first model I tried featured Lumus’ optimized Z-30 waveguides, which not only offer a much wider 30-degree FOV, they are also 30 percent lighter and 40 percent thinner than previous generations. On top of that, Lumus says they are also more power efficient with the waveguides capable of hitting more than 8,000 nits per watt. This is a big deal because smartglasses are currently quite limited by the size of batteries they can use, especially if you want to make them small and light enough to wear all day. When I tried them on, I was dazzled by both the brightness and sharpness I saw from the Z-30s despite them being limited to 720 x 720 resolution. Not only did the increase in FOV feel much larger than 10 degrees, colors were very rich, including white, which is often one of the most difficult shades to properly reproduce.
I had to take a photo of one of Lumus’ non-functioning smartglasses with the company’s 70-degree FOV waveguide, because two out of three of the working ones had already broke and the last one that I used was being held together by tape. (Sam Rutherford for Engadget)
However, even after seeing how good that first model was, I was totally not prepared for Lumus’ 70-degree FOV waveguides. I was able to view some videos and a handful of test images and I was completely blown away with how much area they covered. It was basically the entire center portion of the lens, with only small unused areas around the corners. And while I did notice some pincushion distortion along the sides of the waveguide’s display, a Lumus representative told me that it will be possible to correct for that in final retail units. But make no mistake, these waveguides undoubtedly produced some of the sharpest, brightest and best-looking optics I’ve seen from any smartglasses, from either retail models or prototypes or. It almost made me question how much wider FOV these types of gadgets really need, though to be clear, I don’t think we’ve hit the point of diminishing returns yet.
This is one of Lumus’ thinnest waveguides measuring in at just 0.8mm. (Sam Rutherford for Engadget)
Other advantages of Lumus’ geometric reflective waveguides include better overall efficiency than their refractive counterparts along with the ability to optically bond the displays to smartglasses lenses. That means unlike a lot of rivals, Lumus’ waveguides can be paired with transitions lenses instead of needing to resort to clip-on sunglass attachments when you go outside. Lumus also claims its designs also simplifies the manufacturing process, resulting in thinner waveguides (as small as 0.8mm) and generally higher yields.
Unfortunately, taking high-quality photos of content from smartglasses displays is incredibly challenging, especially when you’re using extremely delicate prototypes, so you’ll just have to take my word for now. But with Lumus in the process of ramping up production of its new waveguides with help from partners including Quanta and SCHOTT, it feels like there will be a ton of smartglasses makers clamoring for these components as momentum continues to build around the industry’s pick for the next “big” thing.
Apple’s Vision Pro was meant to usher in a new era for headsets. However, its high price and somewhat limited utility resulted in what may be the company’s biggestflop in years. Now it’s time for Samsung to give things a go with the Galaxy XR. It’s a fresh take on modern mixed reality goggles developed through deep partnerships with Qualcomm and Google and it attempts to address some of the Vision Pro’s biggest shortcomings.
The hardware
While both Apple and Samsung’s headsets have a lot of similarities (like their basic design and support for features such as hand and eye tracking), there are also some very important differences. First, at $1,800, the Galaxy XR is essentially half the price of the Vision Pro (including the new M5-powered model). Second, instead of Apple’s homegrown OS, Samsung’s headset is the first to run Google’s new Android XR platform, which combines a lot of familiar elements from its mobile counterpart but with a bigger emphasis on AI and Gemini-based voice controls. And third, because Samsung relied more on partners like Google and Qualcomm, the Galaxy XR feels like it’s built around a larger, more open ecosystem that plays nicely with a wider range of third-party devices and software.
The Galaxy XR fundamentally doesn’t look that much different from the Vision Pro. It features a large visor in front with an assortment of 13 different exterior sensors to support inside-out tracking, passthrough vision and hand recognition. There are some additional sensors inside for eye and face tracking. There’s also a connector for the wire that leads to its external clip-on battery pack alongside built-in speakers with spatial audio. The one big departure is that unlike the Vision Pro, the Galaxy XR doesn’t have an outward-facing display, so it won’t be able to project your face onto the outside of the headset, which is just fine by me.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
However, the devil is in the details because while the original Vision Pro weighed between 600 and 650 grams (around 1.3 to 1.4 pounds) depending on the configuration (not including its battery pack), the Galaxy XR is significantly lighter at 545 grams (1.2 pounds). And that’s before you consider the new M5 Vision Pro, which has somehow gone backwards by being even heavier at 750-800 grams (around 1.6 pounds). Furthermore, it seems Samsung learned a lot from its rivals by including a much larger and thicker head cushion that helps distribute the weight of the headset more evenly. Granted, during a longer session, I still noticed a bit of pressure and felt relief after taking off the Galaxy XR, but it’s nothing like the Vision Pro, which in my experience gets uncomfortable almost immediately. Finally, around back, there’s a simple strap with a knob that you can twist to tighten or loosen the headband as necessary. So even without extra support running across the top of your head, getting in and out of the Galaxy XR is much easier and comfier than the Vision Pro.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
On the inside, the Galaxy XR is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip with dual micro OLED displays that deliver 4K resolution (3,552 x 3,840) to each eye at up to 90Hz. I wish Samsung was able to go up to a 120Hz refresh rate like on the Vision Pro, but considering the Galaxy XR’s slightly higher overall resolution, I’m not that bothered. And I must say, the image quality from this headset is seriously sharp. It’s even better than Apple’s goggles and it might be the best I’ve ever used, particularly outside of $10,000+ enterprise-only setups. Once again, when you consider that this thing costs half the price of a Vision Pro, this headset feels like a real accomplishment by Samsung to the point where I wouldn’t be surprised if the company is losing money on every unit it sells.
In terms of longevity, Samsung says that for general use the Galaxy XR should last around two hours. If you’re only watching videos though, that figure is more like two and a half. Thankfully, if you do need to be in mixed reality for longer, you can charge the headset while it’s being used. As for security, the Galaxy XR uses iris recognition to skip traditional passwords, which is nice.
The platform: Android XR
Sometimes, trying out a new software platform can be a little jarring. But that’s not really the case for Android XR, which shouldn’t present much of a learning curve for anyone who has used other headsets or Google’s ubiquitous mobile OS. After putting the goggles on, you can summon a home menu with an app launcher by facing your palm up and touching your index finger and thumb together. From there, you can open apps and menus by moving your hands and pinching icons or rearranging virtual windows by grabbing the anchor point along the bottom and putting them where you want.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Notably, while there is a growing number of new apps made specifically for XR, you still get access to all of your standard Android titles. Those include Google Photos, Google Maps and Youtube, all of which I got a chance to play around with during a 25-minute demo. In Photos, you can browse your pictures normally. However, to take advantage of the Galaxy XR’s hardware, Google created a feature that allows the app to convert standard flat images (with help from the cloud) into immersive ones. While the effect isn’t true 3D, it adds distinct foreground, midground and background layers to images in a way that makes viewing your photo roll just a bit more interesting.
In Maps, you start out with a view of the world before using hand gestures to move and zoom in wherever you want or voice commands to laser in on a specific location. The neat new trick for this app is that if you find bubbles over things like restaurants and stores, you can click those to be transported inside those businesses, where Android XR will stitch together 2D photos to create a simulated 3D environment that you can move and walk around in. Granted, this doesn’t have a ton of practical use for most folks unless you want to take a virtual tour of something like a wedding venue. But, the tech is impressive nonetheless.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Finally in the YouTube app, the Galaxy XR did a great job of making standard 360 videos look even better. While quality will always depend on the gear that captured the content, viewing spatial clips was a great way to show off its resolution and image quality. Google says it will also put a new tab on the app to make finding 360 videos easier, though you can always watch the billions of standard flat videos as well.
Interestingly, you can use and navigate the Galaxy XR entirely with hand gestures, but voice commands (via Gemini) are also a major part of the Android XR platform. Because the goggles sit on your head, unlike with mobile devices, there’s no need to use a wake word every time you want to do something. You just talk and Gemini listens (though you can choose to disable this behavior if you prefer), so this makes voice interactions feel a lot more natural. Because Gemini can also do things like adjust settings or organize all the apps you have open, in addition to answering questions, it feels like Google is starting to deliver on some of those Star Trek moments where you can simply ask the computer to do something and it just happens. Yes, it’s still very early, but as a platform, Android XR feels much more like a virtual playground than VisionOS does at the moment.
Other features
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
While I didn’t get to test these out myself, there are some other important features worth mentioning. In addition to apps, you can also play your standard selection of Android games like Stardew Valley or connect the headset to your PC (like with Steam Link) to play full desktop titles. Furthermore, I was told that the Galaxy XR can be tethered to a computer and used like a traditional VR headset. And while Samsung is making optional wireless controllers for the Galaxy XR (and a big carrying case), you may not need them at all as you’ll also have the ability to pair the goggles with typical Bluetooth-based gamepads along with wireless mice and keyboards.
Google also says it’s working on a new system called Likenesses that can create personalized avatars for use in video calls and meetings that use data from interior sensors to deliver more realistic expressions. Additionally, you’ll be able to use tools like Veo3 to make AI-generated videos while providing prompts using your voice. But this is just scratching the surface of the Galaxy XR’s capabilities and I want to use this thing more before offering a final verdict.
Early thoughts
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
In many ways, the Galaxy XR looks and feels like a flagship mixed reality headset in the same vein as the Vision Pro, but for the Android crowd (and Windows users to some extent as well). On top of that, Google has done some interesting things with Android XR to make it feel like there’s a much wider range of content and software to view and use. In many ways, the addition of a dedicated AI assistant in Gemini and voice controls feels much more impactful on goggles than a phone because you can’t always count on having physical inputs like a mouse or keyboard. And with the Galaxy XR being half the price of the Vision Pro, Samsung and Google have done a lot to address some of the most glaring issues with Apple’s rival.
In case the price drop wasn’t enough, it feels like all the companies involved are doing as much as possible to sweeten the deal. I actually started laughing when I first heard all the discounts and free subscriptions that come with the headset. That’s because in addition to the goggles themselves, every Galaxy XR will come with what’s being called the Explorer Pack: 12 months of access to Google AI Pro, 12 months of YouTube Premium (which itself includes YouTube Music), 12 months of Google Play Pass, 12 Months of NBA League Pass and a bundle of other custom XR content and apps. So on top of a slick design, top-tier optics and a new platform, Google and Samsung are basically tossing a kitchen sink of apps and memberships in with the headset.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
My only reservation is that when it comes to mass adoption, I think smartglasses have supplanted headsets as the next big mainstream play. Granted, there is a lot of technology and software shared between both categories of devices (Google has already teased upcoming Android XR smartglasses) that should allow Samsung or Google to pivot more easily down the line. But the idea that in the future there will be a headset in every home seems less likely every day. Still, as a showcase for the potential of mixed reality and high-end optics, the Galaxy XR is an exciting piece of tech.
The Samsung Galaxy XR is available now for $1,800 on Samsung.com.
Apple just announced its fall slate of devices powered by its new M5 chip: A 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro and revamped Vision Pro. In this episode, Devindra and Sam Rutherford dive into what’s actually new this time around. (Spoiler: It’s really all about the new GPU.) Also, Sam goes deep on his review of the ROG Xbox Ally X, Microsoft’s first stab at a portable “Xbox.”
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Apple refreshes of the Macbook Pro, Vision Pro and iPad Pro with M5 chips – 1:24
Sam Rutherford’s review of the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X – 18:45
Microsoft makes big promises with Copilot Voice, can it follow through? – 39:00
OpenAI’s Sora app reaches 1M downloads in less than 5 days, faster than ChatGPT – 50:42
Sam Altman announces you’ll be able to sext with ChatGPT starting in December – 54:00
Pop culture picks – 1:09:41
Credits
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Sam Rutherford Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
This week, EA announced that it plans to go private as part of a massive $55 billion sale, a move that will likely have huge implications for the gaming landscape. In this episode, Devindra and Engadget’s Sam Rutherford chat about what this deal really means (and why it includes a Saudi Arabian investment fund), and also dive into the messy state of Xbox. Is the ROG Ally Xbox X already a failure at $1,000?
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Topics
Electronic Arts to go private in a deal worth $55 Billion – 1:43
What the heck is going on with Xbox? The $1,000 ROG Ally Xbox X could be a failure even before launch – 15:23
Great games out now: Final Fantasy Tactics, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hades II and more – 42:46
Amazon’s fall hardware event announced new Echoes, a new Fire TV and a panopticon powered by Ring – 59:10
Google announces new Nest Doorbell along with a couple of Nest Cams – 1:09:34
Hollywood film stars recoil in disgust at Tilly Norwood, an AI actress created by a Dutch production studio –1:14:30
OpenAI’s Sora video app is full of fake shoplifting clips – 1:14:13
Pop culture picks – 1:19:01
Credits
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Sam Rutherford Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
It’s been a couple years since the Echo 8 has gotten an update and even longer for the aging Echo Show 10. But today Amazon is fixing that with two brand-new smart displays: The fourth-gen Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11.
Right away, the first thing you notice about Amazon’s refreshed lineup is their designs. In front, there’s a slim tablet-based HD display (either 8.7 inches or 11 inches depending on the model). Around back there’s a curvier housing covered in a mesh fabric for the display’s internals and speakers that borrows a lot from the new Echo Studio and Echo Dot Max. This is a pretty big departure from Amazon’s wedge-shaped predecessors and I think it’s a success. Both models look more elegant and refined, while their rounded bases make it easier to angle them properly in whatever room they’re in.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
That said, while both models feature new 13MP cameras with auto-framing tech (meaning they can track your face if you need to move around the room while on a video call), neither version has a built-in motor that would allow the entire display to rotate and spin like you got on the old Echo Show 10. I suspect this is a tacit admission by Amazon that a movable display is a bit of a gimmick, at least on a smart display. Or it’s just not super necessary when you can just have the device’s camera re-compose your video framing dynamically in software.
Elsewhere, there are a few handy physical controls for volume located on the right side of the Echo Shows’ displays along with a toggle for disabling the onboard mics and camera. Aside from that, there’s a single barrel plug in back for power (which is slightly annoying, I wish it was USB-C) and not much else. So if for some reason you want to connect the new Echo Shows to wired internet, you’re going to need to get pretty creative.
1 / 5
The new fourth-gen Amazon Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11
Here is a size comparison between the new Echo Show 8 and Echo Show 11.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to see how the audio on the new Echo Show models compares to the refreshed Echo Studio or Dot Max. However, Amazon’s updated displays are a big improvement. They have huge viewing angles so it’s never hard to see what’s on the screen from wherever your standing. And while Amazon hasn’t provided official brightness figures, based on what I’ve seen, the panels are rather vibrant, so there shouldn’t be any major issues viewing things in sunny rooms.
Amazon’s refreshed UI is also rather straightforward. All you need is a couple taps or swipes to open things like the video tab, music controls, settings and a list of upcoming calendar events. Meanwhile, the addition of Amazon’s AZ3 Pro chip has greatly improved the responsiveness of touch and gesture input to the point where it felt a bit faster than the Google Nest Hub Max I have at home.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Of course, the real impact of the new Echo Shows is yet to be seen, because while updated hardware is nice, the real value of these smart displays is how they are now better positioned to be the center of Amazon’s smart home ecosystem. Both devices support Zigbee, Matter and Thread so it should be easy to use them to control other devices, while features like a Wi-Fi radar enables a wider range of contextual interactions from Alexa. And while I think the ability to create routines and automations strictly using your voice is a major upgrade for the average user, I wasn’t able to test that functionality out myself at the event.
The other potential omission is that while Amazon’s two largest smart displays got much needed refreshes today, the same can’t be said for the Echo Show 5. So while that model continues to be on sale, I wouldn’t be surprised if it got discontinued when supply runs out or re-imagined as something closer to a smart alarm clock sometime in the future, as it’s smaller screen makes it’s role as a smart home hub a bit more limited.
The new Echo Show ($180) and Echo Show 11 ($220) are available for pre-order today and will come with early access to Alexa+ before official sales begin on November 12.
We’re still in iPhone mode this week, as all of our reviews of Apple’s new hardware are rolling out. In this episode, Senior Writer Sam Rutherford joins us to chat about his experience with the iPhone Air and our final thoughts on the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup. Also, we dive into all of the news from Meta Connect 2025, including the Ray-Ban Display smart glasses. Is Meta actually on to something with these smart glasses? Or is Zuck just desperate to get people away from phones?
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Topics
iPhone 17 Air review: Thinness with a purpose – 1:21
What’s the iPhone 17 Air’s battery life like? – 14:47
iPhone 17 Pro: a more substantive update than meets the eye – 24:54
The base iPhone 17 is a great phone for pretty much everyone – 35:26
Mark Zuckerberg announces Meta Ray-Ban Display smart glasses during his Connect keynote – 39:35
Other News: The ‘framework’ of a TikTok deal is in place, U.S. may license ByteDance’s original algorithm – 1:09:08
New rumors about a touchscreen MacBook Pro – 1:10:41
Pop culture picks – 1:15:02
Livestream
Credits
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Sam Rutherford Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
The iPhone Air is a device with shorter battery life, fewer cameras and a price tag that’s $200 more than a base iPhone 17. Sure, it’s got a bigger screen and it’s unbelievably sleek, but no matter how you slice it, that value proposition doesn’t make sense. At least on paper. That’s because as soon as you hold an iPhone Air, you instantly get a sense that this handset represents much more than a simple quest for thinness. The iPhone Air is a device with a mission: To push the company’s design and engineering further than ever before while doubling down on style. Plus, it’s potentially laying the foundation for something even more radical down the line.
Editor’s note (on September 19, 9:00AM ET): The iPhone Air is now officially available in retail outlets, and those who have pre-ordered their devices will be receiving them starting today. As you make your decisions on whether or which of these you should buy, make sure to check out our reviews of , , as well as the and the . We also published a closer look at the feature, which has some impressions of what it’s like to use in real life.
What is the iPhone Air?
New iPhones generally don’t need to be explained, but the Air is a different sort of iPhone. On a purely practical level, it could be viewed as a (very) glowed-up replacement to the iPhone 16 Plus. However, the Air starts at $999, which is $100 more than the launch price of last year’s closest Apple equivalent (or $200 more after its recent price drop). Furthermore, the Air has a smaller 6.5-inch display (versus 6.7 inches on the 16 Plus) and only a single rear camera instead of the two you typically get on a base model iPhone. Then, to make things a touch more confusing, the Air has nearly the same A19 Pro chip used in Apple’s Pro series this year instead of a regular A19 processor. But most importantly, the Air’s design is unlike any iPhone that’s come before it, and it may end up becoming a bridge to Apple’s next era of smartphones (while also being irresistibly thin and stylish today).
Apple/Engadget
It might not be the most affordable iPhone or the one with the most cameras, but for anyone who puts a premium on style and sleekness, the iPhone Air is without a doubt Apple’s coolest handset in years.
Even with the arrival of Samsung’s super sleek Galaxy S25 Edge earlier this year, Apple is setting new highs for mobile design with the iPhone Air. Not only is it even skinnier at just 5.6mm (versus 5.8mm for the S25E), it’s the best example yet of what I like to call “the sci-fi space pebble look” thanks to its rounded corners and beautifully polished edges. It’s a proper marvel of engineering and while I generally don’t like saying this, you really do have to hold one to fully appreciate Apple’s craftsmanship.
Despite its dimensions, the Air isn’t all sleekness and no strength. You still get a full IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, while the titanium frame makes the whole handset remarkably sturdy. On top of that, the Air has a screen covered by a new Ceramic Shield 2 panel that also comes with an anti-reflective coating. And while it doesn’t completely eliminate glare, it does a good job of preventing annoying bright spots.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
As for the display itself, there’s not much to complain about here either. The Air’s screen has a peak brightness of 3,000 nits and it has ProMotion support with a refresh rate that varies between 1Hz and 120Hz depending on the situation. But the real impact is that when you put a display this good in a device this thin, sometimes it really does look like someone has ripped a page out of a magazine and made it float in your hand. It’s kind of uncanny and I can’t get enough. To be fair, Samsung’s S25 Edge does produce a similar effect but it isn’t quite as pronounced.
I also appreciate that Apple still found room for the iPhone’s Action button and a flush Camera Control key. Around back, there’s subtle sophistication in the way the Air’s Ceramic Shield rear panel slopes up gently to create Apple’s camera plateau (though I don’t love that name). And weighing just 5.82 ounces (165 grams), the Air’s heft (or lack thereof) adds even more to its ethereal in-hand feel.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
My main issue with the Air’s design is that it only has a single mono speaker. Granted, it packs a punch both in terms of volume and presence, but after years of stereo sound being the de facto equipment on premium smartphones, one-sided audio doesn’t sit quite right. The other potential sore spot is that the Air’s USB-C port isn’t perfectly centered in the bottom edge. But I fully admit that this is the most minor of nitpicks, and when you consider that due to the Air’s thinness Apple had to 3D-print the connector out of titanium (a first for the company), I’m not bothered.
Performance: Way better than good enough
Compared to the base iPhone 17, the Air has a more powerful A19 Pro chip. However, unlike the silicon available in the iPhone 17 Pro line, the Air’s processor has one fewer GPU core (five instead of six). But even with that small shortfall, the phone was never hurting for speed. Flipping between apps is essentially instantaneous and thanks to the new Liquid Glass visual design in iOS 26, doing so looks better than ever.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
More intense tasks like gaming didn’t do much to slow it down either. Frame rates remained stable in demanding titles like Destiny: Rising while more casual fare like Sword of Convallaria looked effortlessly fluid. The only time the phone seemed mildly taxed was when using tools like Apple’s Image Playground. Just watch out if when do you any high performance tasks for a prolonged time, because the the Air can get a bit warm — particularly on its camera bump. Thankfully, in my experience, it never got too hot to touch.
Elsewhere, the addition of Apple’s new N1 and C1X chips rounds out the package that the company claims makes this the most power-efficient iPhone yet. That’s important because without a vapor chamber like on the Pro line, or room for a large battery, the Air doesn’t have much leeway for excess heat or power draw. The downside is that Apple’s C1X modem doesn’t support mmWave 5G. This may not be an issue depending on where you live or what network you’re on, but for those demanding peak mobile data speeds, it is something worth considering before upgrading.
Camera: Crisp images but is one lens enough?
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
The photos and videos the iPhone Air takes are excellent. But at the end of the day, there still isn’t a real replacement for more glass, and with only a single lens in back, Apple’s lone 48MP rear camera may be the phone’s biggest limitation. In a shot of some homemade cookies, details were sharp and colors were so rich that my mouth was still watering long after the treats were eaten. Same goes for a tricky photo at sunset, where the Air still managed to capture the warmth and subtle tones of the day’s fading light. And at night, it kept pace with or even outshot its biggest rivals, including the Pixel 10 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge — like in my image of a local mural and flower in low-light. However, if you’re the kind of person who loves a good telephoto shot or the extra field of view an ultra-wide lens provides, the Air’s 2x optical quality zoom means you’re out of luck.
Impressively, despite only having a single rear camera, the Air still manages to take portrait pics that look practically just as good as those from iPhones with two. Apple says that it reengineered its portrait pipeline to work without the need for stereo cameras for the Air, and it totally works. Now, if you do some serious pixel peeping, you might notice some small discrepancies between the iPhone 17 and the Air on things like flyaway hairs. But in the end, it’s nice to see that even without the same number of lenses, there isn’t a major drop in quality.
1 / 8
iPhone Air camera comparison vs Pixel 10 Pro XL
In this photo of some homemade cookies, the sharper details and warmer colors of the iPhone Air win out.
However, in front, Apple’s Center Stage feature and the Air’s new 18MP selfie cam might be the next big photo revolution that other companies will copy soon. By using a square sensor instead of a rectangular one, the phone can flip between wider landscape shots or taller portrait-style pics at a moment’s notice. In fact, there’s even an auto setting that allows the phone to switch between the two on its own, depending on how many people are in the frame.
As someone who is selfie-averse, the times that I do want to take a photo of my face are usually when I’m standing in front of a big vista and want to capture myself and the scenery. Center Stage lets me do just that without needing to awkwardly turn the phone on its side. Additionally, while the photos you see here were taken with Apple’s default “Standard” Photographic Style, I must admit I like the new “Bright” option in iOS 26, which adds just enough pop and color to your photos without going overboard.
Battery life and charging: Not a problem
The iPhone Air’s emphasis on thinness means there’s less room for a big battery, so you might think longevity would be a concern. But in my experience, it’s been a complete non-issue. Officially, Apple doesn’t provide specs for the size of the power cells in its devices, though the company does state the Air should provide 27 hours of continuous video playback, which is only three less than what you get from a base iPhone 17. That’s a drop of just 10 percent and, considering the sleekness of the Air, it’s a trade-off I’m happy to make.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Furthermore, my results generally line up with Apple’s numbers. In a streaming video rundown test over Wi-Fi, the iPhone Air lasted 23 hours and 39 minutes — barely an hour less than what I got from a base iPhone 17 (24:45). And in the real world, the Air fared even better than expected. Even on a day with over seven hours of screen on time (which includes running benchmarks and gaming), the phone has 25 percent juice left in the tank. And on lighter days when I’m not working or constantly checking my phone, I often had 40 to 45 percent energy remaining. When it comes to recharging, the Air keeps things simple: a 30-minute charge (either wired or wirelessly) can add 50 percent battery in just 30 minutes.
Apple’s MagSafe battery pack: The Air’s best buddy
I don’t normally mention peripherals during a review, since I’m not a fan of cases but I can understand wanting extra protection for a $1,000 phone. However, I’d argue that Apple’s MagSafe Battery for the iPhone Air may be an essential accessory for folks who like to travel light but don’t want to worry about their electronics dying — even if its $99 price tag stings.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
In keeping with the iPhone Air’s design, Apple’s power pack is exceedingly slim at just 7.5mm and it snaps neatly onto the back of the device magnetically, so there are no wires to worry about. On its own, recharging tops out at 12 watts. Though if there’s a cord lying around, you can boost speeds up to the Air’s 20-watt limit. Alternatively, you can also use the pack’s built-in USB-C port to power up any of your other gadgets. And when you need to recharge the portable battery, all you have to do is keep it attached to the iPhone while it’s charging and it will automatically pass through juice as needed.
But my favorite part is that not only does the battery pack refill the iPhone Air, it can recharge the AirPods Pro 3 wirelessly as well. Admittedly, Apple’s slim MagSafe Battery doesn’t have the biggest capacity at 3,149mAh (which is enough to add an extra 65 percent charge to the phone). So even though you’re paying a premium to keep things super thin and breezy, between the handset, the power pack and Apple’s latest earbuds, I really appreciate the convenience for what might be the ultimate lightweight travel kit for iPhone faithful.
Wrap-up
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
While the iPhone Air’s thinness may be its most striking quality, it’s abundantly clear that this handset is so much more than that. Not only does this device represent a radical evolution of Apple’s design chops, it forced the company’s engineers to come up with more power-efficient solutions to make all this possible. And in that respect, the iPhone Air is a massive success. It’s sleek, it’s fast and it’s wildly stylish in a way that both fashionistas and people who just like packing light can appreciate.
One interesting wrinkle in all of this is that the true potential of the Air’s success might not be truly felt for another year or two. While Apple might not want to say so just yet, I’m willing to bet that this device will also be the template for an upcoming foldable iPhone. You slap two Airs together, connect them with a hinge and a flexible screen and baby you got stew going. That said, for fans of previous Plus models, the Air’s increased price, smaller screen and single rear cam certainly aren’t ideal. As long as you don’t mind the lack of extra lenses, for those who appreciate a powerful but still eminently effervescent mobile companion, the iPhone Air is in another stratosphere.
At the beginning of the year, Lenovo gave us an early design preview of its next flagship gaming handheld — the Legion Go 2. Today, at IFA 2025, the company is fleshing out the rest of the system with more details regarding its specs, price and availability.
In terms of its overall appearance, not much has changed on the outside of the Legion Go 2. It has the same general shape and detachable controllers as the preview model, alongside an 8.8-inch OLED with a variable 144Hz refresh rate and VESA HDR TrueBlack 1000 certification. Lenovo has kept the ability to use the right controller as a vertical mouse (aka FPS mode) when paired with the handheld’s included puck/stand. And as before, you still get Hall Effect joysticks, a built-in touchpad and kickstand and dual USB 4 ports.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
The only major change from what we saw in January is slightly different paint colors on elements like its shoulder buttons. That said, I do appreciate that unlike a lot of its rivals (aside from the Steam Deck), Legion Go 2 still comes bundled with a case, just like its predecessor. On the flipside, one thing I wish Lenovo had changed is the detachment process for Legion Go 2’s controllers. Like before, you can press a button in back before sliding each joypad off a small hidden rail. And while it works, after using the new magnetic system for the Switch 2’s Joy-Con, doing the same thing on the Legion Go 2 just feels clunky.
Meanwhile, the Legion Go 2’s internals are where most of its upgrades have gone. The handheld can now be equipped with up to an AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip, 32GB of RAM and 2TB of PCIe Gen 4 storage. And if that’s not enough, there’s also a microSD card reader. But perhaps the most tantalizing improvement may be its battery life, as the Legion Go 2 comes with a 74Whr battery that’s 50 percent larger than the 49.2 Whr cell in the original.
The Legion Go 2 features a 8.8-inch OLED display with a 144Hz variable refresh rate.
Unfortunately, I only had a brief time with the demo unit and as it didn’t have a lot of games already installed (especially more resource-intensive ones), so I couldn’t really gauge how much better its performance was compared to the original model. However, I did notice that Lenovo’s Legion Space app felt much snappier and more polished, though it probably won’t be as seamless as the native game integration and new UI that’s coming on the ROG Xbox Ally.
All told, the Legion Go 2 is shaping up to be a more refined, powerful and longer-lasting follow-up while retaining pretty much every major good feature from its predecessor like a big OLED screen, detachable controllers and solid connectivity. Granted, it’s still quite chunky even with its curvier and more streamlined design, but that was always going to be the case considering its large 8.8-inch display. So if you can handle a Windows-based handheld (sorry SteamOS fans) that’s on the heftier side, this is one worth keeping an eye on.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
But here’s the potential catch: the Legion Go 2 may be substantially more expensive too. It’s expected to go on sale sometime in October starting at $1,049, which is a significant jump up from the $700 base price of the original (let alone what it’s going for now, which can be as low as $550 depending on discounts). And that figure is likely for a model with a Ryzen Z2 chip, which means anyone who wants one with a more powerful Z2 Extreme processor will need to keep some wiggle room in their budget. So while I appreciate how Lenovo is chasing big performance on a portable gaming machine, the Legion Go 2’s price has me appreciating more affordable handheld rivals like the Steam Deck even more than I already do.
This week, Google unveiled its full suite of Pixel 10 devices during an event hosted by Jimmy Fallon, of all people. In this episode, Devindra and Engadget’s Sam Rutherford dive into all of the new phone models and try to determine if Google has finally cracked the code on premium smartphones. Also, they chat about a few announcements from Gamescom 2025.
Topics
Google announces Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro – 1:08
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold – 7:13
Pro Res Zoom promises up to 100x virtual zoom with an AI assist – 20:34
Pixel Watch 4: a more vibrant screen and satellite connectivity – 26:04
What’s hot at Gamescom: new details on the Xbox ROG Ally handset – 29:43
New updates to NVIDIA GeForce now – 34:43
Unfortunately, Elden Ring Tarnished Edition runs poorly on the Switch 2 – 37:43
Pop culture picks – 41:57
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Credits
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Sam Rutherford Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
