The weekend is here, and while the weather could be better (thanks a lot, Darragh) we’ve had a pretty good week, at least as far as tech goes. Samsung finally rolled out its One UI 7 beta, Jaguar unveiled its new Type 00 concept car, and we managed to see the Pixel 9a once again, this time via some real-life photos. So forget all about that rubbish weather outside, scroll away, and maybe get a drink or two in there.
One UI 7 Beta Arrives
Samsung’s much-awaited One UI 7 has finally started rolling out in beta form, and it comes with several features such as ever-present AI tricks, new tweaks to the user interface including visual elements and customization, a vertical app drawer (finally), and Samsung even redesigned the camera app’s UX for better usability. The beta is open for Galaxy S24 devices, and Samsung says that it will add more devices soon.
Jaguar Unveils its New Type 00 Concept Car
Jaguar’s recent – and massive – pivot with its branding strategy was a bold move. It’s clear that the British manufacturer is pushing forward with its new plans, both in terms of brand recognition and vehicular design, and it finally unveiled its new Type 00 concept car during Miami Art Week 2025. The Type 00 aligns with the company’s “Copy Nothing” manifesto, and Jaguar describes it as a “physical manifestation” of its new “Exuberant Modernism” philosophy towards product design, with an overall luxurious appearance.
Honor’s Newest MagicBook Models are Now Official
Honor recently took the wraps off its MagicBook X14 Plus and X16 Plus, both of which feature some nice hardware specs. The Magicbook X16 Plus features a 16-inch screen with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. The smaller X14 Plus is equipped with a a 14-inch display with a 2,880 x 1,800 resolution. Inside, both laptops are powered by Intel’s 13th-gen i5 chip, although they do feature some distinctions when it comes to battery, mostly due to their sizes. The larger X16 Plus runs on a 75Wh battery with 65W fast charging, while the X14 Plus comes with a slightly smaller 60Wh battery, and comes with the same 65W charging speed.
The HONOR X9c Smart is a Rugged Smartphone, but You Really Can’t Tell
While most rugged Android phones usually come with designs that reflect their intended use as durable smartphones, Honor’s new X9c Smart comes with a lot of the essentials that keep it safe from most knocks and bumps, but it also features a design that’s not clad in plastic and rubber, and doesn’t necessarily scream “utilitarian”. The phone features a 6.8-inch LCD screen with a 1080 x 2412 pixel resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate, and runs on MediaTek’s Dimensity 7025-Ultra chipset, along with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage, which is pretty decent especially for a 2024 device.
Google Adds More Years of Updates for Older Phones
Google recently updated its official product support page for its Pixel smartphones, adding a few more years of updates for older devices which include the OG Pixel Fold, Pixel 6 series and Pixel 7 series devices. While the phones initially launched with only three years of major software upgrades (and five years of security patches), Google now states up to five years of major upgrades for the phones.
