ICYMI: the week’s 7 biggest tech news stories from Oakley’s next-gen smart glasses to our first week with Alexa+
This week, Oakley and Meta finally revealed their smart glasses (and they look kinda awesome), we published our Nintendo Switch 2 review (it’s great, but not perfect), and Donald Trump launched a mobile phone (yes, really, and it’s stranger than it sounds).
To catch up on all this and more, we have this quick recap of the seven biggest tech news stories of the week, as well as links to the full story so you can dive into the topic more deeply.
Once you’re finished, be sure to also check out our picks for the seven new movies and TV shows to stream this weekend (June 20).
7. Garmin launched something other than a watch
Garmin‘s latest in a veritable barrage of new releases, the Garmin Index Sleep Monitor, is something other than a watch for once – designed to be worn on the upper arm, it’s a dedicated sleep tracker. With a battery life of up to a week and a more accurate signal than wrist-based trackers, the idea seems to be to swap your Garmin watch for the sleep tracker overnight, as many people find chunky running watches uncomfortable to wear to bed.
We’ve known this was coming for a while, and are excited to get to grips with it – and it’s the latest in the trend of screenless wellness trackers. Polar is also getting in on the act with a screenless, subscription-free Whoop alternative, although that’s not launching until September. If you’re tired of the idea of yet another flashing display in your life, you can check out this week’s discreet fitness tracker guide here.
6. Xreal launched new smart glasses
Xreal’s new One Pro AR smart glasses are easily the best we’ve ever seen, in large part due to their new optical setup, which offers a larger image and clearer picture (due to reduced reflections) than any of its competition.
This feels like a true precursor to the Android XR specs it’s working on, and if Project Aura can boast these features and more, Xreal could be onto a killer machine.
The only downside of the Xreal One Pro’s impressive nature is, as you might expect, its price. Currently a pair costs $649 / £579, and if you factor in ‘optional’ add-ons like the Xreal Beam Pro (at $199 / £189) it can start to add up. Though as a portable entertainment and productivity companion, Xreal’s glasses won’t let you down if you decide to pick them up.
5. Trump tried to make phones great again… we aren’t convinced
Trump Mobile priced its mobile service at $45.47 a month, a not-too-subtle nod to Trump’s two terms as President of the United States. Beyond that, though, the service, and especially the new, gold T1 phone, aren’t offering too many direct references to the sitting president.
We focused on the head-scratching device, which offers a mix of older and new technologies (some are thrilled about the 3.5mm headphone jack) and makes a hard-to-believe claim that it’ll be made in the USA.
The $499 Android 15 phone is set to arrive in September, just in time for the next iPhone. We can’t wait to see that matchup.
4. Apple Music’s new AI DJ impressed many
At Apple’s recent WWDC event, the company unveiled its exciting new AutoMix feature for Apple Music. Unlike the crossfade function, which simply crosses from one song to another to avoid gaps of silence, AutoMix creates a seamless playback experience using beat matching and time stretching to connect each song in a queue.
Though we have a few months to go until AutoMix rolls out with the wider iOS 26 release, it’s currently in developer beta, and those with early access are already revealing its capabilities online, marking one of the first viral Apple Music trends.
It’s a big step towards improving Apple Music’s sense of community, even if it’s still behind Spotify on the social front. But from what we’re seeing so far, AutoMix is a fun and engaging new feature that will win over many users, and as a Spotify fan, I hope it’s taking some notes.
3. We spent a week with Alexa+
It’s been months since Amazon unveiled Alexa+, its AI-infused reimagining of its popular voice assistant, but we’ve been waiting ever since for a full public release and a chance to try out the platform, until now.
We spent a week with the Alexa+ early access and found that while it’s not fully baked (and sometimes buggy), the new platform shows tremendous promise.
It’s the first LLM that seems smart home aware, and that means it can help you set up, adjust, and improve your smart home, provided all the gadgets work with Alexa and can be discovered by the new Alexa+.
It’s also proving to be a great conversationalist, and it’s very likely that your relationship with Alexa+ will be far different from the one you had with the timer-friendly and weather-knowledgeable OG Alexa.
Meta has expanded its smart glasses partnership with EssilorLuxottica by introducing a pair of Oakley smart glasses based on the brand’s HSTN design.
This writer thinks it’s beautiful, but our office Slack chat is less than appreciative of the distinctive look. Aesthetics aside, the glasses are packed with hardware and software upgrades.
We’re talking double the battery life of the Meta Ray-Bans (it’s now eight hours instead of four), improved cameras (3K quality video capture), and improved AI assistance, which includes things like asking about surf conditions and golfing technique.
They’re due to launch later this summer, starting at $399 / £399, but a limited edition pair will go up for preorder sooner on July 11, for $499 / £499.
1. We reviewed the Nintendo Switch 2
The Nintendo Switch 2 is finally here, and we’ve thoroughly tested the all-new console for review over the past couple of weeks. In short, it’s a phenomenal upgrade over the original Switch system. While it certainly lacks that hallmark Nintendo innovation, what we have here is a powerful hybrid handheld gaming device.
We now have a crisp 1080p display, capable of refresh rates of up to 120Hz. Furthermore, the handheld also features HDR and variable refresh rate tech for smoother performance while out on the go. Players who prefer docked mode aren’t left out in the cold, though, as those playing on a TV or monitor can benefit from 4K and 1440p resolution settings.
While battery life definitely leaves a lot to be desired, the Switch 2 is nonetheless an accomplished handheld games console, and we can’t wait to see what kinds of games Nintendo has in store in the years to come.
This week, Oakley and Meta finally revealed their smart glasses (and they look kinda awesome), we published our Nintendo Switch 2 review (it’s great, but not perfect), and Donald Trump launched a mobile phone (yes, really, and it’s stranger than it sounds). To catch up on all this and more,…
