The Biggest Tech News This Week (24 October)

Samsung Galaxy XR headset 

Samsung’s Galaxy XR Headset was finally announced this week after months of teasing. The headset runs Google’s Android XR platform and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ gen 2 chip. It has Google’s Gemini AI assistant on board and some pretty impressive-looking Google apps, including the YouTube immersive video support and Google Maps is taken to a whole new level. While it’s currently only available in Korea and the US, the price is also impressive, as at $1799, it's around half that of the Vision Pro M5. 

Samsung smart glasses update

At the end of the Galaxy XR launch, Samsung also teased an upcoming pair of smart glasses. These seem similar to the glasses Google demoed back in May, even working with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster on the frames, but it looks like these could be Samsung branded. 

The next Xbox console will be super premium

According to Xbox President Sarah Bond, the next-gen Xbox will be very premium. That’s great news for high-end gamers, as it could mean the device not only outperforms the upcoming PlayStation 6 but could also be a hybrid unit capable of PC gaming too. However, this is likely to also come at a very high price, putting it out of reach for many regular Xbox fans. 

Leica’s new rangefinder is missing something

Leica has released its latest M-series digital rangefinder; however, it’s missing one crucial thing. The Leica M EV1 has an electronic viewfinder in place of the optical rangefinder that has been a feature of the M series since the beginning. While this may horrify purists, the EVF is more accurate, as it offers a through-the-lens view, complete with focus peaking for that manual focus, while still being fast enough for some street photography. Priced at just under £7k or $9k, it’s still only for the select few, but it does look stunning. 

Costa

Costa coffee at home

There’s now a way to get Costa in your own kitchen. The firm has launched its own coffee machine called the Podio X1. It uses special Cost Coffee pods and is finished in the trademark Costa colours. This is primarily aimed at office and hotel use but it is possible to buy it for around £359.