Well, it was about time, wasn’t it?

I’ve spotted that question within the comments section of my YouTube channel more times than I can count. The answer has always been one of two certainties: the overhead view of the Golden Gate Bridge was taken by yours truly while flying into the city for a press trip, or the stunning cityscape frame of Hong Kong Harbour is one of macOS’s included wallpapers.

More often than not, though, the wallpapers I place on my devices are extremely personal - photos of special places or special people in my life. You’ll spot them occasionally within my videos, but they’re certainly not for sharing beyond my screen.

I’m acutely aware, however, that there is a thirst for the wallpapers people see in YouTube videos. Once you’ve tired of those that are included with your device’s operating system and you want something a little less personal on your phone or laptop, finding high quality wallpaper is a bit of a faff. If a YouToober has done the job for you and created a bunch of awesome wallpapers that look beautiful on their devices, and which remain relatively unique, you’ll want a piece of that.

“Where did you get that wallpaper from?” you’ll ask.

I can now definitively answer that question, because I’ve done what a fair few people in my position have already done and created an online repository for the wallpapers you’ll see on my YouTube channels from this point forward. It’s called Dead Pixel Club and, yes, it’s my first-ever digital product store. There’s a free pack on there, of course, but the rest do ask for a portion of your income to be handed over. We’ve made the pack pricing fair and competitive and have, in our opinion, devised a rather generous ‘purchase all now and forever’ option.

As a product, we’ve also gone to town on these wallpaper packs, because I appreciate you needing a reason to hand over your hard-earned.

I didn’t want the wallpapers to be generic, half-assed, AI-generated guff. Instead, I wanted them to be truly unique and maintain some of the personal elements that I’ve always enjoyed about this form of tech personalization. That’s why every wallpaper pack on Dead Pixel Club is derived from a selection of photos I’ve taken. The colours, angles, and ambiance of the source photos are used to inspire the 2D- and 3D-modelled wallpapers which range from the beautifully serene to the more in-your-face. And they come in 14 screen sizes for everything from massive ultra-wides to one-handed smartphones. Oh, and foldables, of course (both regular and passport). That means each pack includes 84 wallpapers, all rendered specifically for the screen size in question (no cropping or resizing).

And if you’re wondering, Dead Pixel Club will indeed be expanding far beyond wallpapers in the future. I’ll keep you posted on that front.

Thanks for reading what was, I appreciate, a rather uncharacteristic sales pitch. Which you can ignore, of course - normal service will resume in the next newsletter (and boy will we have a lot to talk about then) 😉

Visit Dead Pixel Club here 👉 https://deadpixelclub.com/

~ Mark

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

Back to School Without The Sting

Right, quick heads-up before we start: this one's another partnership with Back Market, the refurbished-tech marketplace. And honestly, the timing couldn't be better. September's charging toward us, and the back-to-school “must-haves” are already piling up faster than I can say “do you really need the new one?”

Here's what made me want to write this. Back Market ran new research with 2,000 UK parents, and the numbers are a bit sobering. After a summer that costs the average family around £6,000, parents are staring down another £800+ just to get the kids “back-to-school ready.” Nine in ten children are asking for the latest tech they don't actually need - and 81% of parents say they'll struggle to afford it all.

I've been on both sides of this. When I was in school, I'd have done unspeakable things for a laptop that could do more than run one program at a time - and the kit I actually had was held together with hope. Looking at what's available now, the gap between “what a student genuinely needs” and “what gets marketed to them” has never been wider. So the fix isn't going without. It's going refurbished. Four in five parents are already open to it, and 45% reckon their kid couldn't even tell the difference from new. With Back Market you get a 12-month warranty, full transparency on condition, and hundreds of options. Here's what I'd actually buy for the new term.

Saving Opportunity #1

Laptops: where refurbished saves you the most

This is the big-ticket item, and it's exactly where going refurbished pays off most. Here's the truth nobody selling you a laptop wants to say out loud: for essays, research and living inside Google Docs, you do not need this year's model. A professionally refurbished laptop from a generation or two back does the job beautifully for a fraction of the price.

What to actually look for: aim for 8GB of RAM as your floor (16GB if there's any video editing or heavier coursework), and 256GB of storage minimum so nobody's deleting photos to save a homework file. That spec sailed past “good enough for school” years ago - which is exactly why last-gen is such good value.

Worth knowing: 23% of parents are told their child “needs” a brand-new laptop for school. Nearly always, they don't.

Saving Opportunity #2

Smartphones: the peer-pressure purchase

Ah, the phone. The one where “everyone else has the latest” does most of the heavy lifting. A refurbished recent-gen iPhone or Android looks and works like new for a lot less - and as a nice bonus, it keeps a perfectly good phone out of a drawer (or landfill).

My checklist before you buy: look at the condition grade, check the battery health percentage is healthy (aim for 85%+), and make sure it's unlocked so it works on any network.

The stat that says it all: 23% of kids specifically ask for a new iPhone or smartphone to keep up with their mates, and 74% of parents hear the immortal line - “but everyone else has the latest one.”

Saving Opportunity #3

iPads & Tablets: Laptop jobs without laptop money

A tablet is a genuinely brilliant middle option - perfect for note-taking, reading and homework without stretching to a full laptop budget. And an older-generation iPad still has the battery life and the screen to carry a school day comfortably.

My tip: you don't need the newest iPad to hit the sweet spot. A model a couple of generations back gives you the best value-to-performance ratio, and it'll happily run everything a student throws at it for years.

For context: 20% of parents get asked for a new iPad.

Saving Opportunity #4

Headphones & Earbuds : The “want” that quietly adds up

This is the lower-cost want that somehow still finds its way onto every list. Refurbished AirPods or headphones are great for study focus and the commute - minus the premium you'd pay new.

If you're buying refurbished earbuds, check three things: battery life (they degrade with use), the condition of the charging case, and - I promise this matters - that they've been properly cleaned with fresh ear tips. A good refurbisher sorts all of this.

Small line item, real cost: 14% of kids ask for new headphones or AirPods.

Bonus Savings — Students & Teachers

Students & teachers: An extra bit off

Quick one worth flagging, because it's easy to miss. If you're a student or a teacher, Back Market has an additional discount available on top of the already-lower refurbished prices - currently £20 off purchases over £250. On a laptop or tablet, that's a proper dent in the total. Worth checking before you check out.

Why refurbished actually stacks up

This is the bit I actually care about. It's not only your wallet on the line - 75% of parents worry about the environmental impact of buying new tech, and what happens to the old device it replaces. Refurbished answers both. You spend less, and you keep working kit in circulation instead of on a landfill pile.

The scale is real: Back Market has prevented around 1.6 million tonnes of CO₂, and it's a certified B Corp - which means the sustainability stuff is independently held to account, not just a line on a homepage. As Back Market's Luke Forshaw puts it, the whole point is helping families keep costs down without compromising on quality - and that's exactly the balance a refurbished device with a 12-month warranty strikes.

And it's not just me saying it - Back Market has worked with parents like mum-of-five Laura Dove (@5littledoves) to shine a light on just how much the back-to-school tech bill really adds up.

One more thing worth knowing: every purchase is backed by the Back Market Promise - a 12-month warranty, 30-day free returns, free shipping, and up to a 100-point quality inspection on every device. That's the safety net that makes buying refurbished a genuinely easy call.

So here's the takeaway: you don't have to choose between what your kids want and what your wallet (and the planet) can actually handle. Refurbished is the smart middle ground - the same tech, the same job done, minus the £800 sting.

If I'd had this option back in my school days, I'd have saved a fortune and a lot of frustration. Your kids don't have to wait. Have a good term.

~ Mark

How the Z Fold 8 Fixed Boring Tech

Presented by our friends at Back Market

Me and the Z Fold 8. Devices like this are so welcome when they come along.

I love my job and believe I’m very lucky to do what I do for a living. There is a rather unglamorous side to it, though, and that’s encountering the sheer number of middle-of-the-road products that expect to be reviewed - and struggling to find a reason to review them.

The irony here is that tech has got so good, and the capabilities have plateaued at such a high level, that it’s hard to buy a bad… anything. The devices are just a lot harder to review these days when they’re all so capable. And similar.

Nice problem to have? Of course. I could still be working in the job I hated.

Smartphones are a classic example, and the one I wanted to talk about today. Oppo recently sent me two handsets to check out - the Reno 16 and Reno 16 Pro. The fact they look practically identical doesn’t help, but they are brilliant mid-range phones with superb performance capabilities, great cameras, and lovely build quality. And you know what? I haven’t even turned them on. I don’t need to; I’m that confident I know what I’m talking about here. If you’re considering a midrange phone, they should be on your list.

That won’t make a YouTube video, though. And YouTube, as a platform, has changed considerably over the last couple of years. Views are much harder to come by, and you really have to work extremely hard to keep people watching beyond 30 seconds (depressing, I know). That’s why we need extremely interesting tech, and it’s why devices like Samsung’s Z Fold 8 are so welcome when they come along.

Today's newsletter is brought to you by our friends at Back Market, the only marketplace I go to for professionally refurbished tech, including the Android Phones, iPhones, MacBooks, iPads, and Apple Watches we cover every week.

Every device is restored and tested by verified refurbishers, then backed by a 1-year warranty and free 30-day returns. The result: the gear you actually want, for up to 70% less than buying new. You can show your support by clicking the button below!

It doesn’t happen that often. I call them ‘unicorn products’. The Mac mini, the Sony XM4, the MacBook Neo, the Skullcandy Crusher headphones. There’s something about these products which sparks a massive amount of interest that manifests in hundreds of thousands of views and comments against my videos. And it's repeatable. Again, again, and again.

Defining what it is about these products that makes them so popular (or unpopular, incidentally - the audience sentiment is often sliced right down the middle) is tricky. But I don’t care. I just want more brands to make more products like the Z Fold 8, alongside the safe bets.

I have a feeling you do, too.

~ Mark

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

Retro Tech Is Back - And So Am I

This one's a bit different - we’re coming at you this week in partnership with Back Market, the refurbished-tech marketplace. If you’re a regular around here you already know I'm a Back Market convert (the iPod).

New Back Market research shows this isn't just me being sentimental - 71% of Brits wish they'd owned a specific piece of retro tech as a kid, and 45% now plan to buy one. Retro tech is genuinely having a moment.

Below are the retro devices I'd actually buy - and how to get the most from each. Let's get into it!

iPods & MP3 Players

My home turf. The device that got me off the streaming treadmill after one too many price hikes. Building your own offline library, the click-wheel, no notifications mid-song. Nano for the gym/kids, Classic for a full collection. Tip: consider a modded Classic (flash storage + bigger battery) if you want it as a forever player.

Game Boy & Handheld Classics

Digital Cameras (the digicam comeback)

Physical Audio: Listening to Retro Devices

Retro as Home Décor

Fun stat to close on: 1 in 10 people now display their retro tech as a design feature at home, and a third use theirs regularly.

That's my retro shortlist, but there's loads more on Back Market - from consoles to cameras. Affordable, warrantied, and kinder to the planet than buying new.

Everything at Back Market comes with a 12-month warranty.

~ Mark

Has Samsung Found
the Perfect Phone Form Factor?

The Samsung Z Fold 8 (left) and Z Fold 8 Ultra

I was lucky enough to go to Brooklyn last summer for Samsung’s second Galaxy Unpacked event of the year. At that event, the Korean tech giant launched its latest foldable smartphones and a brand-new smartwatch. It was a big deal, not least because Samsung decided to finally update the Z Fold form factor.

For the uninitiated, Samsung is arguably the grandad of the foldable smartphone market. The first Galaxy Fold arrived in September 2019. While it wasn’t the first foldable to hit the shelves (the Royole FlexPai apparently holds that crown, according to Gemini - and, nope, I have no idea, either), the Galaxy Fold was, arguably, the first commercially successful bendy smartphone.

We’re now on the eighth generation of Samsung’s Fold series and, until recently, Samsung has certainly been the most conservative when it comes to annual iterations of that form factor. In fact, it was last year’s Z Fold 7 that represented the biggest visual and dimensional change to the lineup since its inception. I’m a huge fan of that device; it’s ridiculously thin, perfectly wide when closed, and offers the best big-screen OS experience when opened.

Now, we have two phones in the Fold lineup: the Z Fold 8 Ultra and the Z Fold 8. The former is actually the update to the Z Fold 7, and while it might look very similar, in the hand, it feels rather different thanks to a completely revised design that includes a ‘Flex Titanium’ hinge and a simpler opening mechanism (borrowed from the bonkers TriFold).

But it’s the Z Fold 8 that’s going to grab the headlines, and rightly so. It’s a brand-new device; short, squat, and rather passport-like. If you’ve seen the fake renders of the rumoured ‘iPhone Ultra’, that’s basically what the Z Fold 8 is.

A few weeks ago, I published a video on my YouTube channel about Apple’s supposedly forthcoming foldable. I mused that, if true, it could be the perfect form factor - not just for foldables, but for phones in general. Samsung has got there first, and having already spent a fair bit of time with the Z Fold 8, my confidence in that belief is growing.

I’m yet to use it in anger, though. That’ll come soon, along with my full review. In a world of brilliant-but-bland smartphones, we need devices like the Z Fold 8.

Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. If you’ve made it this far and would like to learn more about the Z Fold 8, watch today’s video!

See you here next time!

~ Mark

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

When tech comes at just the right moment

We spend a lot of time in this industry chasing the next big thing. Foldables, AI assistants, VR headset. And there's nothing wrong with that — it's exciting, and it's why most of us are here. But every now and again, something much smaller cuts through all of that noise in a way that none of the headline-grabbing stuff ever quite manages.

It happened with the iPod for a generation of teenagers who were just falling in love with music and now had a companion to help them explore. It happened with Blackberry when the internet had developed enough to start making communication feel truly instantaneous. If you lived through these times, I’m sure you have a personal connection to similar bits of tech.

I've been thinking about this a lot recently, partly because I've had some time to think, and partly because a fairly unassuming little wristband, the Google Fitbit Air, has moved me in a way I wasn't expecting. Not because of what it does technically (though it does it well) but because of when it arrived and what I needed from it when it did.

The Google Fitbit Air is not even close to the most exciting thing I've reviewed this year, but it sure as well might be the most important.

MUST WATCH

Great Foldable... Bad Timing (Honor Magic V6)

It’s foldable season (yes, that’s a thing I’m coining). A time in the year when manufacturers have got all of their standard releases out of the way, clearing the runway for their jewels in the crown. And Honor is back with the V6, a cracking phone that comes at the wrong time.

MUST WATCH

Finally, Headphones That Get It All Right (Daisy One)!

It’s rare that a pair of headphones impress you in new ways but the Daisy One (I hadn’t heard of them either!) do that in multiple ways. First off, they look and feel incredibly premium, but there’s more to them that meets the eye…

MUST READ

Why The iPhone Ultra Could Change Foldables Forever

See what I said about foldable season? Well, there’s a lot to talk about when it comes ton the form factor thanks to the movements coming from Apple. It could be a massive end to the year!

ON THE ‘GRAM

An F1 fans dream!

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Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. See you here next week!

~ Mark

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

The best version of iOS ever?

I'll come straight out and say it: I think I underestimated this.

I've just spent a week back from WWDC, running iOS 27 and Siri AI as my daily driver on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the more I use it, the more it sinks in just how far Apple has actually moved the needle. The polishing updates are of course welcome — a proper Liquid Glass slider for those of you who've made your feelings known there, noticeably faster AirDrop, and photo tools like extend, cleanup and reframing, the latter of which is really quite cool.

But it's Siri that's the story here. I handed over a list of deliberately awkward, vague questions for it to work on, find this email, work out my travel history, book me into a gap in my diary, and, rough edges aside, it handled all of it without any missteps. It really is Siri as we’ve never seen it before, but it’s also an AI system that feels distinctly ‘Apple’. And that in turn makes iOS 27 stand out significantly from the Android operating systems around it that were striding ahead in terms of AI.

It's still beta and it still stumbles occasionally, as you can see in my video on it this week. But after years of being promised this exact thing, I'm genuinely struggling to find much to complain about. That's not a sentence I expected to write about Siri a year ago!

MUST WATCH

iPadOS 27 Beta Review: I Wasn't Expecting This...

Can you guess how I feel about iPadOS 27 from my iOS 27 thoughts? It’s safe to say that I think Apple has done a pretty good job here too…

SOMETHING NEW

The Next Drive Newsletter Is Live!

A quick reminder that my new newsletter is now live in collaboration with journalist Alistair Charlton! It features exclusive insights into the automotive industry from us, cool second-hand cars we’ve found, news, and, most excitingly, contributions from our readers!

We want to create a community of car lovers (motorcyclists welcome too!) that meet via email every week. So sign up, have a read and consider contributing, see you there!

WHAT YOU SAID

When all is said and done, you guys are pretty much split down the middle when it comes to Siri AI. And that’s fair, it isn’t anything particularly ground breaking but I promise once you use it you’ll be impressed!

ON THE ‘GRAM

Ok, Samsung Galaxy XR is REALLY impressive…

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Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. See you here next week!

~ Mark

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

Siri AI: Game Changing?

Siri AI is real, it’s on my phone and I’m very impressed.

I'll be honest with you, I was a bit nervous for Apple heading into WWDC 26. They had no other option but to nail their updates to Siri and Apple Intelligence after the false start in 2024. And, from my very early beta testing, it seems that they’ve delivered in a big way.

I threw some deliberately vague, half-formed questions at it the moment I got access to the developer beta. Things like asking it to dig up a quote from a garage for some car repair I couldn't remember the details of. Or tracking down something my dad had texted me weeks ago about an iPad stand. Within seconds, Siri was surfacing the right emails, the right messages, the right context in a really easy-to-digest way.

Yes, other manufacturers have been doing this for a few years now but, in a typically Apple way, they’ve managed to sprinkle a bit of magic on top that makes Siri AI feel more cohesive. Check out my main channel video on it to see what I’m talking about, but the way Siri AI is integrated into the UI is brilliant and the complexity of requests it can carry out feels top-tier.

For those of us who've been using Siri as little more than a kitchen timer for the better part of a decade, this feels like a real turning point for Apple. I also think Apple has focused on the right areas with AI at WWDC. There was very little about making things with Apple Intelligence, like Genmojis or generic bits of ‘art’, and lots about the actually useful things AI can do.

It is early days, so caveats all-round but this is a big development for Apple and makes iOS 27 feel fresh. Stay tuned for more thoughts in the coming weeks and check this week’s Tech Diary video for a full WWDC 26 rundown!

MUST WATCH

Why Siri AI Is Game Changing!

Here is that above-mentioned video with my early Siri AI testing. I’d love your thoughts and suggestions about how to put Siri AI through it’s paces, so get involved in the comments!

MUST WATCH

WWDC26: This Changes Everything

….and here’s my full WWDC 26 rundown! Most of WWDC was about Siri AI and related Apple Intelligence improvements, but there were some other things worth your attention, especially related to child protection measures which lots of people will appreciate. Plus one other very cool feature!

SOMETHING NEW

The Next Drive Newsletter Is Live!

A quick reminder that my new newsletter is now live in collaboration with journalist Alistair Charlton! It features exclusive insights into the automotive industry from us, cool second-hand cars we’ve found, news, and, most excitingly, contributions from our readers!

We want to create a community of car lovers (motorcyclists welcome too!) that meet via email every week. So sign up, have a read and consider contributing, see you there!

YES, THERE’S MORE…

WWDC 26 Explained!

We’ve written up guides for all the big OS updates on the website, take a look for some easy-to-follow info!

👉 iOS 27: All The New Features →

👉 macOS 27 Golden Gate: All The New Features →

👉 iPadOS 27: All You Need To Know →

ON THE ‘GRAM

Does This Mean I’m Famous Now?

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Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. More fallout from Apple’s latest announcements to come!

~ Mark

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

My plan for WWDC26!

I’ve attended many press events over the last few years, but none of them feels like the one I’m heading to now.

I’m currently sitting in Heathrow airport waiting to board a flight to San Francisco. From there, I’ll be shuttled off to Cupertino, a city deep within Silicon Valley and west of San Jose. It’s also the home of Apple and, more specifically, the ginormous Apple Park campus, which was officially opened in 2017.

The relentlessness of tech launches in 2026 has resulted in this being my third trip of the year to California, but I’ve never been to Cupertino or Apple Park. As noted in a recent newsletter, this is the tech press event equivalent of Willy Wonka’s golden ticket and, after more than six years of toiling away reporting on everything Apple has launched during that time, I’ll finally get to see Tim Cook walk out on stage and introduce the keynote (presumably the last time he’ll be doing so).

If you want to get the inside track on what this adventure is like from my side of the fence, give me a follow on Instagram - I’ll be peppering it with stories from California for the rest of the week!

MUST WATCH

The iPhone Air Has Changed How I Use My Phone

I’ve flip-flopped on the iPhone Air more than anyone I know. But this time, I think I’ve finally landed on a side of the fence, and it has had some interesting side effects on how I interact with phones.

MUST WATCH

Motorola Razr Fold Review - Why It Breaks All the Rules!

Everyone has a foldable now, apart from the elephant in the room. But Motorola has taken a slightly different approach to the likes of Samsung and Oppo and I think it absolutely works, although it might feel a bit dated to some. Check it out!

SOMETHING NEW

The Next Drive Newsletter Is Live!

A quick reminder that my new newsletter is now live in collaboration with journalist Alistair Charlton! It features exclusive insights into the automotive industry from us, cool second-hand cars we’ve found, news, and, most excitingly, contributions from our readers!

We want to create a community of car lovers (motorcyclists welcome too!) that meet via email every week. So sign up, have a read and consider contributing, see you there!

YES, THERE’S MORE…

The Rest Of Last Week

👉 WWDC 2026: What To Expect - All you need to know ahead of this week! →

👉 Siri in iOS 27: Is Apple’s Chatbot Coming? - This is the big one that Apple needs to deliver on, and all the rumours suggest they will be… →

What I Watched On YouTube This Week

🔌 We Need to Talk About FERRARI LUCE! (Shmee150) - I was on the same press trip as Tim for the Ferrari Luce launch and what followed in terms of comments has been eye-opening, even for a seasoned troll destroyer like yours truly. Tim’s video is an eloquent, thought-provoking take on the entire affair. Much needed.

✏️ Jony Ive Explains How He Designed The Ferrari Luce (Cleo Abram) - Cleo does a superb job of speaking to the guy who is largely responsible for the look and direction of the Ferrari Luce.

🎸 Fender Commits Brand SUICIDE (Tim Pierce Guitar) - I don’t think I’ve ever shared any of Tim’s content on this newsletter, and this isn’t representative of what he usually does. But he sums up the Fender debacle perfectly.

Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. Expect a full debrief of WWDC coming to your inbox soon!

~ Mark

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

The Ferrari that broke the internet

Last week, I went to Rome to see the unveiling of the Ferrari Luce - the italian sportscar manufacturer’s first-ever electric vehicle (EV).

It looks like no other Ferrari before it. It’s been part-designed by LoveFrom, the design house started by Sir Jony Ive and Marc Newson. The Luce is about as un-Ferrari as you can imagine, yet it has an awful lot of Ferrari baked into its philosophy. There’s even a three-spoke steering wheel that echoes Ferraris of the 1950s.

Confused? Angry? Delighted? Those three emotions are on clear display in the comments sections beneath the content I’ve created about the Luce thus far. It’s one of those unicorn products, as far as content creation goes, because it draws in such ferocious comments (both in support and against it), that the content simply flies off the shelf.

As a content creator, I love products like this for that very reason. As a car guy, the Luce was, at first, an utter surprise. But, after a couple of days in its company (that’s important), it began to settle. It began to make sense. And as for the interior and the switchgear, my word is it a lovely thing to behold and touch.

If you’ve got strong thoughts on the Luce from either a car or tech standpoint, I’d love to hear from you.

SOMETHING NEW

The Next Drive Newsletter Is Live!

A quick reminder that my new newsletter is now live in collaboration with journalist Alistair Charlton! It features exclusive insights into the automotive industry from us, cool second-hand cars we’ve found, news, and, most excitingly, contributions from our readers!

We want to create a community of car lovers (motorcyclists welcome too!) that meet via email every week. So sign up, have a read and consider contributing, see you there!

MUST WATCH

What I Want From Apple at WWDC 2026!

It’s the big one, Apple’s annual developer’s conference, where they announce all of their latest software developments…and perhaps some hardware surprises. And this year I’m going! So I thought it was only right to lay out what I’m hoping to see at Cupertino, and I want to hear your thoughts too…

MUST WATCH

Xiaomi 17T Pro Review - How Is This Possible?

On the Tech Diary this week I review the latest mid-ranger from Xiaomi which also devolves into a discussion about what a mid-range phone even is these days. Because the specs and the prices are starting to blur the lines…

YES, THERE’S MORE…

The Rest Of Last Week

👉 AirPods Pro 3 - 6 Months Later: The TRUTH! - The best earbuds ever made? Well, it’s up for debate, but as all-rounders, the AirPods Pro 3 are pretty impossible to beat. Is there any reason to go elsewhere as an Apple user? →

👉 Roborock Saros 20 Review: Worth Every Penny? - Anyone for a robot vacuum? This one’s a good bet! →

👉 Sony Announces ‘True RGB’ Bravia Series and New Theatre Trio Sound System - Some big moves from Sony last week… →

What I Watched On YouTube This Week

⛽️ Why the Ferrari Luce has re-written the Car Design Rulebook FOREVER ! (Petrol Ped) - Pete came along to Rome for the Luce launch, too, and he’s a lovely bloke. Go check out his channel!

✍️ My Favourite Notebooks of 2025 (Carl Pullein) - I’m slowly getting back into physical note-takling… again. Let’s see how long it lasts.

📸 They Finally Did It (Tom Calton) - I’m testing this camera, too. And I like Tom’s approach to content.

Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. See you here next week!

~ Mark

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

The most important email I’ve ever received

For many years, I’ve watched from the sidelines as various members of the tech media have received and shared their invites to Apple Park. I’m not alone, either. This is the tech event invites of tech event invites - the golden ticket, if you will.

And, now, I’ve received my own.

I’m going to Apple Park. The spaceship campus. That huge Californian ring of tech innovation, promises, and secrets. The place Jony Ive designed. One of Steve Jobs’ last projects. That place.

I’m a member of the tech media these days, so any fanboyism that I have for the brands I cover (and, trust me, that doesn’t only relate to Apple), has to remain as far towards the bottom of the barrel of my ramblings as possible. However, I can’t always guarantee it’ll remain entirely hidden. It’s hard - particularly with a brand like Apple which has played such a pivotal role in my life.

In this week’s Tech Diary video, I talk more about this ridiculously exciting email, and, more importantly, what my trip to WWDC means for you. Because I wouldn’t be going if it wasn’t for you.

SOMETHING NEW

The Next Drive Newsletter Is Live!

Just thought I’d drop in here to tell you about a brand new newsletter that I’ve launched alongside the excellent automotive journalist Alistair Charlton. It features exclusive insights into the automotive industry from us, cool second-hand cars we’ve found, news, and, most excitingly, updates from our readers!

We want to create a community of car lovers (motorcyclists welcome too!) that meet via email every week. So sign up, have a read and consider contributing, see you there!

MUST READ

Ferrari Luce Review: A Bravely Different Ferrari

Ok, this isn’t strictly tech, but I feel like we can all make an exception for Ferrari launching their first ever EV (which certainly has a lot of tech inside)? It has also been co-designed by Jony Ive, the man who helped Steve Jobs produce the first ever iPhone amongst other many era-defining devices. It’s an utterly fascinating project!

MUST WATCH

Why iPhone Ultra Could Change Foldables Forever

I love foldables, which is something I wouldn’t have said about a year ago. Now that I am a semi-convert tot he form factor, the iPhone Ultra has suddenly become very exciting. It could be the answer…

MUST WATCH

The Sony ColleXion Review - I Wasn't Expecting This…

Sony has just released a very interesting set of headphones. They are about $100 more expensive than the WH-1000XM6, making them about the same price as the AirPods Max, and feature a more luxurious design and, intriguingly, a different audio profile. Are they worth it? You’ll have to watch to find out!

YES, THERE’S MORE…

The Rest Of Last Week

👉 Top VPNs To Try Today- I am a heavy VPN user due to regular travel so I thought it high time to list the ones I like the most! →

What I Watched On YouTube This Week

📝 Tracking your ENTIRE LIFE in a notebook (Peter McKinnon) - If there’s one thing I’ve gone back and forth with more than any other, it’s notetaking. This video inspired me. Although probably not enough to make it stick. Again.

🗣️ Google I/O 2026 keynote in 35 minutes (The Verge) - Missed Google I/O? This will help. It helped me.

😬 Watch This NYT "Music Critic" Embarrass Himself...AGAIN (Rick Beato) - Ouch.

Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. It’s getting close to the slew of summer releases again so watch this space for the latest!

~ Mark

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

The iPhone Ultra could change everything

I’ve reviewed many foldable smartphones. I’ve also reviewed a bunch of flippable smartphones. They’re all very interesting but rather hard to recommend, unless the person inquiring knows exactly how they intend to make use of the unusual form factor. Because if they don’t, it’s a colossal waste of money; they might as well just buy a regular phone.

For the last few years, Apple has been quietly watching that part of the industry unfold (wow, what a brilliant and unintended pun). They haven’t commented on it (to my knowledge), and there hasn’t been a single product that has emerged from Cupertino which looks anything like Samsung’s Z Fold series.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few months, you’ll have heard that Apple may finally be stepping into the foldable smartphone game. As I type, it’s all rumours, and nothing may happen at all, but those rumours point towards a potential autumn release of something called the ‘iPhone Ultra’.

It’s got me excited, mainly because it appears Apple is trying something slightly different. And we need different. More thoughts from me on this on this week’s Tech Diary!

MUST WATCH

MacBook Neo: Buy It for the Right Reasons

I’ve been meaning to answer your burning MacBook Neo questions for a while now (and I haven’t made a MacBook Neo video for a few weeks), so here we are! Have a watch, you might learn something new about this very-well documented device!

MUST WATCH

AirPods Max 2 vs AirPods Pro 3 - Don't Buy the Wrong Pair!

In previous years, this comparison was not really worth making because the AirPods Max were just miles ahead in terms of noise cancelling. But the AirPods Pro 3 have caught up so much in that regard, and in terms of sound quality, that I genuinely think you might be able to get away with just the in-ears. Might…

WHAT YOU SAID

I must admit that I had a slight giggle when putting last week’s poll together, thinking that none of my readers ever had a Microsoft Zune. I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who had one, but here I am with egg on my face. There are some of you out there!

YES, THERE’S MORE…

Everything You Missed Last Week

👉 Google Announces The Googlebook, Android 17 and Gemini Updates - This was a hefty announcement from Google and there’s lots to look forward to →

👉 iPad Pro M5 vs MacBook Neo: A Case For Both? - Does anyone ever seriously consider these matchups? →

What I Watched On YouTube This Week

🕺 24 hours inside Fred again..'s USB002 tour (Derrick Gee) - I do love a behind-the-scenes gig vid, and the scale of this one is pretty insane.

⚙️ The Man Who Made Top Gear: 'We Never Got to Say Goodbye' - Supercar Chauffeur | Andy Wilman (Kidd in a Sweet Shop) - Even Jody Kidd has a YouTube channel these days!

🫢 Watch This NYT "Music Critic" Embarrass Himself...AGAIN (Rick Beato) - Embarrassing indeed. “It only got 60,000 views”. Love you, Rick.

Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. See you here next Sunday!

~ Mark

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

Going back to the Sony Walkman

Those of you who have been subscribed to this newsletter for a while will have been following my journey into old-fashioned music curation and listening. And by ‘old-fashioned’, I don’t mean I’ve taken to dropping the needle on my ancestors’ gramophone (although that would be cool) - I mean moving away from music streaming and back to my own collection.

This began with a rescue mission that saw me head into an old, dusty, and damp barn to retrieve a box-load of CDs and has evolved into an iPod modding project. Which has gone badly. Very badly.

I’m roughly 25% of the way through modding an iPod with an uprated battery and SD card storage, and I’ve hit a complete brick wall. No matter what people tell you, modding iPods isn’t as easy as you might think. It’s either that, or I’m just an idiot. Answers on a postcard, please. Particularly if you think you can help me (fix the iPod, that is - not become less of an idiot).

However. The abrupt halt in my iPod modding project has given me the chance to try out another music player, which also falls under the category “ah, I used to have one of those!”. Yup - the Sony Walkman.

All is revealed in this week’s Tech Diary episode.

MUST WATCH

I Was Wrong About the iPhone Air!

Last week I gave a little taster of my unexpected relapse into the iPhone Air and now here are my full thoughts! Why have I done this? Am I enjoying it? And does this mean the iPhone Air is better than I gave it credit for?!

MUST WATCH

AirPods Max 2 vs Bose QC Ultra 2 - The Obvious Answer!

More AirPods Max 2 comparisons! And this one is probably the closest of all thanks to the latest refresh of the QC Ultra 2. Which is the best? You’ll have to find out!

WHAT YOU SAID

I think you dear readers will find this quite interesting, and might give some insight into how hard smartphone manufacturers have to fight for your attention. By some distance, most of you don’t ever consider switching brands which might explain why noone takes many risks anymore in terms of design.

YES, THERE’S MORE…

Everything You Missed Last Week

👉 Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra: Which Is Worth the Money? - Does anyone ever actually make this decision? →

What I Watched On YouTube This Week

🌆 Why Would Anyone Live in NYC? (CaseyNeistat) - Casey appears to be making videos regularly again. And this is a very good thing indeed.

🚙 Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 on road review plus what’s it like as a passenger? (Harry’s garage) - I love this man. And I love his strapped-together YouTube channel so much.

💥 The New DAW - Setting The Internet On Fire (CROW HILL) - I got very excited about this new music production suite… and then got less excited when I realised what it actually does. Or doesn’t do, to be exact.

Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. Check your inboxes to see if you won the iPod giveaway!

~ Mark

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

I’ve switched phones. Again.

I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The iPhone Air; the phone I unceremoniously dumped for the iPhone 17 Pro Max, having previously told the world that I’d be sticking with the Air for at least 12 months.

My reasoning for giving up on the Air was twofold. As you might expect, the battery was one of those reasons. During ‘normal’ days - transferring myself between my house, studio, and the gym - the iPhone Air would happily last all day. No hassles. But come travel time - a regular occurrence for me - it began to falter. Throw in a flight, a different timezone, and the endless searching for network masts that comes with that kind of movement, and Apple’s slimmest iPhone would be pretty much done by 4PM.

The second issue was the camera. As a content creator who values his back, I’ve now all but ditched my pro camera setup while out and about. Which means my phone needs to do the job instead, and the lack of an ultrawide or meaningful zoom range on the iPhone Air made it far too restrictive.

Fast-forward to May 2026, and… well… I’ll let this week’s Tech Diary video do the talking.

This talk of switching back to the iPhone Air has got me thinking if anyone actually switched the phones they use these days, or do they just go on using the newer version of what they had before. Let me know in the poll please!

MUST WATCH

The $2,000 Apple Setup You Should Buy!

There has been a lot of new Apple products since the last time I made a video about my setup, so I thought it was about time I updated you all! And yes, it’s expensive, but not for the reason you might expect!

MUST WATCH

AirPods Max 2 vs Sony XM6 - Don't Buy the Wrong One!

New AirPods Max means new comparisons to be made, and this is prime one in my mind. The XM6 had a price bump when they were released but they’re still $100 cheaper than the AirPods Max 2, so is there any reason why you should go Apple here?

YES, THERE’S MORE…

Everything You Missed Last Week

👉 iPhone 17 vs iPhone 17e: Which Is Best For You? - A closer comparison than last year for sure! →

What I Watched On YouTube This Week

🚘 Renault Twingo Review: Finally, a Small EV Worth Buying?! (The Next Drive) - Shameless plug.

🕺Pete Tong on DJ Burnout, Radio 1, & the Future of Dance Music (Will Clarke) - How is Pete Tong 65?!

📷 The Greatest Lens Ever. Fight Me. (Peter McKinnon) - Felt like Peter’s old vids. And nice to see Casey, too!

Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. Stay tuned for some more fleshed out iPhone Air thoughts this week, and keep your eyes on your inbox to find out if were a winner of the giveaway!

~ Mark

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

Why I chose the MacBook Pro (for this trip)

I’m writing this in Beijing, which I’m visiting with BYD (you must have heard of them by now) for the world’s biggest motor show (and multiple demonstrations of BYD’s insane car tech, including an SUV you can drive in your swimming pool).

More specifically, I’m writing these words on a MacBook Pro. That’s right. Shock horror - the expensive one. Not the MacBook Neo.

What gives, Mark? I hear you cry. The MacBook Neo is a product you’ve been hailing as the greatest thing that Apple has ever done, and something which is absolutely perfect for virtually every situation - particularly if you’re travelling.

I have indeed been gushing relentlessly about Apple’s latest laptop, but my decision to bring the MacBook Pro halfway across the world is for a reason which, I think, neatly illustrates a key buying decision prospective MacBook owners need to make. Normal people don’t have multiple MacBooks like us tech YouToobers, and in this week’s Tech Diary video, I hit on that exact topic while addressing the most common questions I’ve received about the MacBook Neo over the last few weeks. Go give it a watch!

GIVEAWAY

Win An iPod!

We’re teaming up with our friends at Back Market once again to bring you another giveaway! This time, we’ve got three retro iPods that you can get your hands on. All you need to do is answer the poll below and you’ll be entered into the draw.

We’ll pick three luck winners on 4th May who will each receive one of the following: iPod Shuffle 4, iPod Shuffle 2 or iPod Nano 4. Good luck!

MUST READ

Apple’s Next Chapter (And Why It Means So Much to Me)

I don’t often get sentimental with the content I make, but sometimes you can’t help it. Apple changing CEOs is a big moment. Steve Jobs took the world into unchartered territory when many thought he was mad. So, as Tim Cook steps down, Apple’s future potentially widens again into something even more exciting…

MUST WATCH

OPPO Find X9 Ultra Review: This Is Getting Silly

My mind has not been this boggled for a very long time. The Oppo X9 Ultra’s camera system is pretty much perfect, and the rest of the phone is near that level too. You have to see it to believe it, so take a look!

WHAT YOU SAID

I feel like I say this every week, but these results are genuinely surprising. I’d assumed almost everyone had a smart speaker in their homes but a significant chunk of you don’t. It’s also interesting to see how popular Apple’s home system is, considering how rubbish Siri continues to be.

YES, THERE’S MORE…

Everything You Missed Last Week

👉 iPhone Fold: Everything We Know So Far - A primer for what is (probably) coming in a few months time! →

👉 Galaxy Buds4 Pro vs AirPods Pro 3: Which Flagship Earbuds Should You Buy? - A much closer competition than ever before →

What I Watched On YouTube This Week

💕 Mat Armstrong On His Worst Car Rebuild, Insane Car Collection & Making Money on Youtube (Cars & Money) - My love affair with Mat Armstrong continues, and in this second of a two-part interview with him, he’s admirably open about the finances and lifestyle behind the empire he’s built. Once again - inspiring.

▶️ YouTube's BIG New Update Just Changed EVERYTHING (Dan the creator) - It’s been a bumpy ol’ ride on YouTube for quite a while now in terms of the never-ending quest for predictable viewing numbers. Dan sheds some light on what’s been happening, but his conclusion about what works on YouTube these days should be reassuring for us all.

👎 The Spotify Top 10 Got Even Worse (Rick Beato) - Oh, Rick… I feel ya.

Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. Make sure to enter that iPod giveaway!

~ Mark

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

The never-ending quest for a great home assistant

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been testing the new Sonos Play, which is the latest speaker from the brand that, for as long as most of us can remember, has been the go-to for multi-room home audio.

I review it fully in this week’s Tech Diary episode on YouTube, but here’s a huge spoiler for you: it’s superb. At £299, it ain’t cheap, but this is Sonos, and they don’t make cheap speakers. What you get in return is beautiful build quality, superb audio performance, and the brilliance of the Sonos ecosystem. Now that they’ve fixed their app.

Oh, did I mention it's portable, as well? Yup - you can remove the Play from its charging base station and take it out into the garden when you fire up the BBQ. And, if you live in the UK, it’ll be fine, because it features IP67 dust and water resistance.

There’s just one problem, and it relates to the home assistance. Although I have hope. Find out what I’m talking about in this week’s Tech Diary!

MUST WATCH

AirPods Max 2 Review: Should You Upgrade?!

We all know that AirPods Max are good headphones, it’s just whether they can ever be truly worth the astronomical price tag when there are other cheaper options out there that are just as good (if not better). Well, the AirPods Max 2 are finally here and there has been no price rise. So should you buy them?

MUST WATCH

MacBook Neo 1 Month Later: The Truth!

I think everyone knows now that the MacBook Neo is a certified stonker of a product from Apple. But that hasn’t stopped numerous people in my comments asking me recurring questions about whether it can handle this or crashes when doing that. So, to put all of that to bed, I’ve reviewed it after a month of continuous use!

WHAT YOU SAID

I was surprised by last week’s poll results. 30% of you already have iPods and use them which just goes to show how popular that movement already is. On the flip side, a load of you also have no interest in ditching the convenience of streaming and totally fair! But there is a market out there for the iPod in 2026.

YES, THERE’S MORE…

Everything You Missed Last Week

👉 Don't Buy the Wrong MacBook! (Neo vs Air vs Pro) - A third video from last week which very clearly lays out who should buy which laptop →

👉 reMarkable Paper Pro Move Review: The Gold Standard - It’s been a while since we’ve covered a reMarkable device but this one is something special! →

What I Watched On YouTube This Week

🔗 LinkedIn Founder: Double Your Income With AI Before It's Too Late | Reid Hoffman (Silicon Valley Girl) - It really does feel like we’re entering a significant new era, and I’ve been taking note of what people like Reid have been saying. Not all of it is doom and gloom - I promise.

💨 Mat Armstrong Exposes Truth on Bugatti Controversy & Restoring WRECKED Supercars (Cars & Money) - The ‘battle’ between Bugatti and a YouToober named Mat Armstrong is fascinating. It reveals how unprepared some of these long-standing brands are for new media.

🎶 MPC Sample – The $400 Sampling Beast (Accurate Beats) - Still watching videos about this little guy, and I still want one more than I want to retain certain limbs.

Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter. This week, one of the best phone’s I’ve ever used hits the channel!

~ Mark

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

An update on my 2026 iPod project…

If you’ve been following my journey back into the world of music ownership, you might remember that I teased a return to the iPod. You know - Apple’s now-discontinued personal music player, which lots of people, it seems, are suddenly hankering for in this world of algorithm-fuelled music entertainment.

Thanks to the lovely folks at Back Market, I now have in my possession a 5.5-generation iPod Classic. Since I last updated you on this topic, I’ve also bought a 3,000mAh battery for it, along with an adaptor that enables me to replace the old, spinning hard disk drive with modern solid-state storage (in the form of two 256GB microSD cards). Oh, and a bunch of tools to prize the thing apart.

The modding process hasn’t gone very well at all. The battery is installed and works absolutely fine (I think). The iFlash-Quad adaptor is installed, and the 512GB of total storage is being reported when I plug the iPod into my Mac. The problem is that no matter what I try, my Mac won't restore the iPod so I can install Rock Box on it. I even resorted to trying it on a Windows laptop, and that failed, too.

I’m working through solutions at the moment, and I tell the full story in this week’s Tech Diary video. But I have a feeling this might be a longer journey than I first expected…

PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

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It scrubs your personal data from the web, confronting the world’s data brokers on your behalf. And unlike other services, Incogni helps remove your sensitive information from all broker types, including those tricky People Search Sites. Try Incogni today and get 55% off annual plans with code MARK55!

MUST WATCH

Galaxy Buds 4 Pro: One Month Later, I've Changed My Mind

Samsung has always made good-but-not-spectacular earbuds. But with this iteration of the Buds Pro, they’ve managed to break through that barrier and produce a truly excellent pair of buds. It’s a very good time to be in the Samsung ecosystem!

MUST WATCH

iPhone 17e One Month Later - Watch Before Buying!

Now that the initial ire has died down after the iPhone 16e was released, it’s been nice to spend some time with the iPhone 17e without feeling a bit dirty using it. Turns out, once you take a fairer look at things, this is still a very good phone from Apple, especially now that MagSafe is included.

YES, THERE’S MORE…

Everything You Missed Last Week

👉 iPhone 17e vs Pixel 10a: The Differences That Actually Matter - Ok, the 17e is fine, but is it actually better value than the Pixel 10a? →

WHAT YOU SAID

Have you ever considered buying a Studio Display?

About a 50/50 split when the pro/anti Studio Display votes are totted up from last week. One of you said “I couldn't imagine spending over a thousand dollars for a 27" monitor”, which is totally fair when you think about. There is still room for the Studio Display though, mainly for the Apple purists amongst us!

What I Watched On YouTube This Week

🎶 Why are People Buying the MPC SAMPLE Even Though they Don't NEED IT? (Bolo Da Producer) - Immediate want.

🔌 BYD Atto 3 Evo Review - The PERFECT Family EV?! (The Next Drive) - SHAMELESS PLUG.

🤯 The AI Stack That Makes The Most Money (Most Get This Wrong) (Open Residency and Dan Martell) - We have officially entered a new era. And boy are we experimenting with it behind the scenes at Ellis Media Group!

Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter! Oh boy have I got some content coming for you next week. Three videos, the first of which on a product Apple should have updated years ago. Until then!

~ Mark

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

From the sublime to the ridiculous

I woke up on Friday and suddenly realised that I had the exact opposite ends of the MacBook spectrum in my possession. In one corner was the MacBook Neo (base model, no Touch ID), and in the other, a maxed-out (bar the storage) 16-inch M5 MacBook Pro. £500 vs £6,000.

Ok, maybe it wasn’t the first thing I thought about that morning, but it came close. That prompted me to turn on the camera (don’t worry, I got showered and dressed first) and record this week’s Tech Diary video. Because I think we’ve reached a point where most tech is utterly wonderful, and the new MacBook lineup is the epitome of the era we find ourselves in.

It’s very hard to buy a rubbish <insert tech item here> unless you crawl into the bargain basement. More importantly, what Apple has done with the MacBook lineup should be a lesson to all other tech manufacturers. They’ve made it ultra simple. And, in that diary video, I explain why.

MUST WATCH

Is Apple's $3,299 Monitor Worth the Money?

Should you even consider spending $3,299 on a monitor? That’s the only question I have after the Studio Display XDR release. The answer is not perhaps as clear as you might expect.

MUST WATCH

M5 Max MacBook Pro Stress Test - This is Insane!

Does the M5 Max MacBook Pro even need to exist? I mean, it’s an absolute monster that I can’t even imagine being able to make work to its full potential. Have a watch and see just how powerful this thing is.

YES, THERE’S MORE…

Everything You Missed Last Week

👉 Samsung S26 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Enough is Enough! - If you missed last week’s video, take a look at the long read here! →

👉 Asus Zenbook Duo Review: A Wonder! - This laptop is genuinely amazing and needs to be seen to be believed… →

WHAT YOU SAID

Which would you recommend, MacBook Neo or M4 iPad Air?

Here are the results from last week’s poll…and you can see that there isn’t really a conclusive answer here. Yes, you can buy both, but if you just want to buy one, where do you go? Who’d be a tech reviewer eh?

What I Watched On YouTube This Week

🏎️ Bob From The Machine Shop on Bugatti, Mat Armstrong & Hardest Challenges (Road To Success Podcast) - If you watch Mat Armstrong, you’ll know who Bob is. This is a much-needed interview with Bob.

🐯 45 Days with MrBeast (Jon Youshaei) - The scale of these productions (and the cost) is mind-boggling.

🤖 Claude Cowork FULL COURSE (Automate Everything) (Jack Roberts) - I am now knee-deep in Claude stuff. And this is the best video I’ve found so far on the topic. Hats off, Jack.

Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter! It’s been all Apple over the past few weeks but there’s more variety on the way, starting with some new earbuds…

~ Mark

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

Happy 50th birthday, Apple!

On Friday evening, I was fortunate enough to be invited to Apple’s 50th birthday celebrations in London. This was earmarked by a performance by Mumford & Sons, who performed at the foot of the endlessly impressive Battersea Power Station.

This being the UK, it was freezing, but a good time was had, regardless. I’m just glad I wasn’t the one playing the banjo.

I’ve been covering Apple professionally now for just over six years, but I’ve used, lusted over, and loved their stuff for a lot longer than that - decades, if I’m to give away anything about my age. Of course, being on the reviewer/media side of the fence now, I have to be extremely careful not to allow my near-life-long love of Apple to get in the way of objective analysis. And, if you’ve followed me over the last few years, I hope you’ll agree that I’ll point out when I don’t like something Apple has done just as much as I will applaud their innovation.

It was a proud moment, though - I’m happy to admit that. It started with me taking a photo of an iPod (content coming soon), and ended with me toasting the 50 years Apple has spent ‘thinking differently’, in-person, with Apple, while watching one of the world’s biggest bands perform on a stage just a few feet from where I was standing.

I was there because of you. So, thank you. But - back to the reviewing!

MUST WATCH

The Ultimate Apple Setup - M5 Max MacBook Pro + Studio Display XDR

When I say the ultimate setup, I mean it quite literally. There isn’t a more powerful or more premium way to fill your desk with Apple gear than this. And boy is it mighty impressive!

MUST WATCH

MacBook Neo vs iPad Air - You Asked For It!

Of all the MacBook Neo comparisons you can make, this is the most interesting one. Both cost the same (apart from when you start adding accessories to the iPad) and appeal to a similar demographic, but also differ significantly in terms of the chip inside. Could the iPad really be best?

MUST WATCH

Samsung S26 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max - Enough is Enough!

As far as weeks go at Mark Ellis Reviews, this was a big one in terms of video topics! The yearly battle between the two big boys is always a staple of the calendar, but I think it’s becoming a bit…redundant. Watch the video, then let me know if you agree!

YES, THERE’S MORE…

Everything You Missed Last Week

👉 iPod 5.5 Gen Review In 2026 – Not Just Nostalgia - No, this isn’t a gimmick, I’m actually using an iPod again. Find out why here! →

👉 Epomaker Luma100 Hands-on: A Perfect Middle Ground - One for the mechanical keyboard aficionados →

What I Watched On YouTube This Week

👨‍💻 Why I parted ways with my editor - Kirk Lepiten ep. 2 (Peter McKinnon) - I don’t watch much of Peter’s stuff these days, but I was an avid viewer not that long ago and always admired what he achieved, production-wise, with his long-time editor. Who now doesn’t work for him anymore. This is a very insightful chat between the two of them.

🎵 Soulwax presents: Abbey Road After Hours (with 2manydjs) (Soulwax Official) - Big Soulwax fan here. If you know, you know. But all I could think while watching this was: how on earth were they allowed to perform in there?

🤩 I BOUGHT MY DREAM HOUSE & WORKSHOP IN MIAMI (Mat Armstrong) - I love this dude. He deserves everything he’s worked so hard for.

ON THE ‘GRAM

Behind-the-scenes at Apple’s 50th birthday party!

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Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter! Content is coming thick and fast this week, strap yourselves in!

~ Mark

THIS WEEK’S UPDATE

Nothing to see here (sorry)

I couldn’t resist using that title above. Such awful puns are unfortunately completely inevitable whenever you cover anything made by the tech brand, Nothing.

I’ve mentioned more than once over the last few weeks that the start of 2026 has seen an abnormally huge number of new tech releases - in particular: smartphones. This is a lovely problem to have as a tech reviewer, but it also means we need to be absolutely brutal with what makes it onto the Mark Ellis Reviews YouTube channel.

That’s why, on this week’s Tech Diary channel, I’m reviewing the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro. We just couldn’t make it fit on the main channel with everything Apple has released recently, and I’d rather be honest with you - and Nothing - about that. Regardless, it’s a smartphone that deserves to be seen…as does a particular pair of headphones. Go watch!

MUST WATCH

MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air: Don't Waste Your Money!

I’ve been talking a lot about the MacBook Neo recently (as you’ll know if you read last week’s newsletter), and I’m not stopping yet, and for good reason. The biggest question to come out of the Neo’s release is related to its cousin, the MacBook Air. This week, I’ve answered all and I want to know which you’d choose!

MUST WATCH

M4 iPad Air Review - A Tough Decision!

The iPad lineup is a confusing one; there are a lot of options and it’s not immediately clear which one is the best pick when trying to weigh up value for money. But thanks to the M4 chip, the decision should be much easier now. Is this the best tablet ever made?

YES, THERE’S MORE…

Everything You Missed Last Week

👉 OPPO Find N6 Review - Brilliant...But There’s a Catch! - This foldable has managed to (sort of) eliminate the crease, but that’s not the best thing about it… →

👉 Nothing Headphone (a) Review: Why Spend More? - Better than their own Headphone (1)? →

👉 Nothing Phone (4a) Pro Review: Mid-Range Metal - Here’s the full review of the Phone (4a) Pro from this week’s Tech Diary video! →

What I Watched On YouTube This Week

🎙️ Hannah Fry: The Science Behind AI, Grief Tech & Life (The Romesh Ranganathan Show) - I’m really enjoying Romesh’s podcast at the moment, and this is a very relatable chat about science, maths (no, really), and… AI.

🤦‍♂️ Louis Theroux tackles a new extreme... | The Chris Moyles Show | Radio X (The Chris Moyles Show On Radio X and Radio X) - Have you seen that documentary?

ON THE ‘GRAM

That’s a lot of folds…

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Thanks for reading this week’s newsletter! Have you been enjoying my Apple coverage lately? Drop me a reply, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Until next week.

~ Mark