It’s the weekend again, which means it’s time for a quick roundup of some of the biggest hardware (and software) headlines this week. As such, we’ve prepared this quick rundown of some highlights which you might have glossed over – so just before the week starts anew, here are some of the past week’s biggest news in tech.
Meet the Samsung Galaxy S25 Series
Samsung finally unveiled its latest Galaxy S25 flagship series, which consists of three devices including the base model Galaxy S25, Galaxy S25 Plus, and the top-tier Galaxy S25 Ultra. The new phones come with Qualcomm’s very impressive Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, although they do retain a lot of the same specifications as their predecessors, even sporting very similar appearances. Samsung also announced an upcoming Galaxy S25 “Edge” variant which features a slimmer design and two cameras, although it lacks the curved-edge design seen on older Galaxy Edge models.
Xiaomi Announces an Exclusive Xiaomi 15 Colour Variant
With celebrations for the upcoming Lunar New Year taking place in China soon, Xiaomi saw it fit to announce a special-edition colour variant of the Xiaomi 15, which will be available in a “Rouge Red” version and will come with special perks upon purchase. Take a look inside though and you’ll find that it still comes with the same hardware as on the standard-edition version of the phone, which was originally launched back in October 2024.
ASUS’ Newest Chromebooks are Made for Classrooms
Chromebooks aren’t usually the most powerful laptop computers on the market, but they’re a great way of getting all the essentials such as access to educational software, and even basic production apps. With that said, ASUS recently announced its latest generation of Chromebook CR models, which are built for K-12 students and educators. It includes four models consisting of the CR1104C and CR1204C with traditional clamshell designs, and the CR1104F and CR1204F, which come with convertible designs that allow them to be used as tablets. They’re also designed to be rugged and durable for daily use in classrooms.
Google Rolls Out its New Identity Check Feature
Google recently announced that its new Identity Check feature will begin rolling out for supported Pixel and Galaxy phones running on Android 15 and One UI 7, respectively. The new feature adds an extra layer of protection to user data through a rather clever implementation – once a user decides to enable Identity Check, their device will ask for additional biometric checks when a user attempts to modify critical system and security settings when away from a trusted location such as their home or workplace.
Google Purchases Part of HTC’s XR Team
HTC recently announced that it’s entered into a deal with Google that plays into the latter’s long-term goals for XR products – more specifically, Google recently acquired a portion of HTC’s XR division for $250 million. This acquisition includes a non-exclusive license to HTC’s XR intellectual property, as outlined in an official HTC press release. Not much details are known at the moment, although we’re bound to see interesting developments in the coming years given HTC’s expertise with its Vive VR and XR hardware.
