Week in Review: The top stories in phones, computing, entertainment and more

Apple crushes it with iPad launch, for better and worse. Plus: can OpenAI out-Google Google? Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( May 10, 2024 CONNECT WITH TECH RADAR  [Facebook]( [X]( [Instagram]( [Youtube]( [Tech Radar]( [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [WEBSITE]( [] Welcome to the Week in Review [] Welcome Welcome to a week in which Apple managed to embody both the highs and lows of the innovation experience. For the highs, we had four new tablets and at least two pieces of exciting new technology, both of which can be found in the new iPad Pro. Apple’s latest premium tablet is powered by a new M4 chip (the latest in Apple silicon), and boasts stunning display technology known as ‘tandem OLED’ (it’s a technology that needs some explaining, but we’ve got you covered on that front). We even got a new Apple Pencil, and the fun of saying “barrel roll” over and over again. That was the high point. The low point followed when Apple had to apologize for releasing a bizarre iPad Pro commercial that upset virtually every creative, as well as people who love Cher and emojis – oh, and Hugh Grant. Google was also busy this week, dropping the Pixel 8a on the same day as Apple unveiled its iPads – it’s a more affordable, AI-ready Pixel phone that keeps the feature-skimping to a minimum. Google announced the phone just a week before its big IO conference, at which it likely has bigger things in store. I just hope it’s ready for OpenAI to potentially steal its thunder with a rumored new GPT-powered search engine. It sounds exciting, but if it’s going to go toe-to-toe with Google it better be 10 times better than ‘Googling’. It's a lot to digest (and we didn’t even talk about the upcoming Microsoft Build, and all the AI changes that may be coming to Windows); but if I had my way we would’ve started this newsletter with what I consider the really big news of this week: Superman’s new suit. You see, there’s a new Superman movie coming from writer/director James Gunn in 2025, and now we’ve finally seen the movie’s star, David Corenswet, in his new Superman costume. As a huge Supe fan, this was a big deal for me, and I know I’m not alone. If you’re a Marvel fan, I think there were some developments in that cinematic universe, too. Whatever. Lance Ulanoff, Editor-at-Large [] The week in Apple [] [Hands-on with the super-thin 13-inch iPad Pro 2024]( It's very thin, and very powerful (Future) [Hands-on with the super-thin 13-inch iPad Pro 2024]( You can't have missed the brand-new iPads unveiled by Apple this week, and TechRadar managed to get some hands-on time with the 13-inch iPad Pro – the thinnest and most powerful tablet Apple has ever released – backstage at the company's Let Loose event. [Read the review]( [] - [We've also been hands-on with the new 13-inch iPad Air]( [] - [9 things we learned from Apple's Let Loose event]( [] - [Apple scraps the iPad Pro 'Crushed' ad – and it was the right thing to do]( [] [The iPad Pro's new 'tandem OLED' screen explained]( It's OLED, but not as we know it (Apple) [The iPad Pro's new 'tandem OLED' screen explained]( The 2024 edition of the iPad Pro gets an OLED screen for the first time, but it's no standard OLED screen: it's called 'tandem OLED' – essentially two displays sandwiched together – and we've taken a deep dive into how it works, and why it's a big deal for Apple. [Read the full story]( [] - [New benchmarks reveal just how powerful the new Apple M4 chip is]( [] - [Apple now urgently needs to revisit its single worst accessory]( [] - [A maxed-out iPad Pro 13-inch (2024) costs more than a base MacBook Pro]( [] The week in phones [] [Google unveils the Pixel 8a with some key upgrades]( The Pixel 8a has arrived (Google) [Google unveils the Pixel 8a with some key upgrades]( The much-rumored Pixel 8a is finally official, and the mid-range smartphone brings with it some interesting upgrades over the Pixel 7a from 2023 – including a brighter screen with an improved refresh rate, a more powerful chip, and a host of AI tools. [Read the full story]( [] - [What's happened to WhatsApp? A big redesign is rolling out now]( [] - [Android 15 tipped to get a video stabilization upgrade]( [] - [You can now get Circle to Search on the iPhone... sort of]( [] This week's top deals picked by TechRadar's experts [] - [New iPad preorders - where to buy the 2024 Pro and Air, plus trade-in deals]( [] - [Amazon just dropped a ton of new tech deals - these are the best]( [] - [Verizon's Google Pixel 8a deal gets you the new phone for free]( [] The week in computing [] [The ChatGPT search engine could launch within days]( OpenAI's ChatGPT could be taking on Google (Getty Images) [The ChatGPT search engine could launch within days]( ChatGPT developer OpenAI is rumored to be developing a full web search engine to take on Google, and according to the latest leak it's set to launch this coming Monday – that's the day before the big Google I/O event, which seems like deliberate timing. [Read the full story]( [] - [Microsoft may be looking to change how we use Windows devices with AI]( [] - [Windows 10 user numbers could be spooking Microsoft]( [] - [Chrome may get its own Circle to Search tool]( [] The week in entertainment [] [7 new movies and TV shows to stream this weekend]( Zac Efron in The Iron Claw (A24) [7 new movies and TV shows to stream this weekend]( Keen to stream something new this weekend? Max subscribers can enjoy Zac Efron’s critically acclaimed sports drama The Iron Claw, while Doctor Who season 14 and Dark Matter begin streaming on Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus, respectively. [Read More]( [] - [Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max will be available in a bundle soon]( [] - [Marvel's Fantastic Four movie casts The Office UK star as Galactus]( [] - [We've gotten a first look at James Gunn's Superman – and at his suit]( [] More of this week's top stories [] - [A big Google Maps redesign is now being tested on Android]( [] - [Asus officially confirms the Asus ROG Ally X will soon be here]( [] - [TCL's NxTPaper tablet screen is like an affordable iPad Pro display]( [] - [Latest rumored PS5 Pro specs suggest a big leap in power]( [] - [Nintendo says a Switch successor will be announced 'this fiscal year']( Sharing TechRadar with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. 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