Apple is all set to host its next showcase at the end of this month, where it is expected to unveil new iMac and MacBook models. Invites have already been sent out for the ‘Scary Fast’ event, scheduled to take place on October 30 at 5 pm PT (5.30 am IST on October 31). Ahead of the event, an alleged MacBook Pro box packaging image has leaked online. The leak shows a traditional Apple packaging, a white-coloured box with the image of a MacBook Pro on top.

The rare Apple leak appeared first on the Chinese micro-blogging website Weibo and was later shared by tipster ShrimpApplePro (@VNchocoTaco) on X on Wednesday. While the leak contains no details, it shows a silver-coloured unreleased MacBook Pro on the box with a new wallpaper on its display.

Apple, as usual, has not released any details about its rumoured lineup of Macs, so it would be best to take this leak with a pinch of salt. The Cupertino, California-based company is widely expected to debut a new 24-inch iMac at its ‘Scary Fast’ event. A day before Apple’s event announcement, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that the company was gearing up to launch the long-awaited 24-inch iMac refresh around the end of October. The last iMac was launched at Apple’s ‘Spring Loaded’ event in 2021.

The company could also debut its much-awaited M3 chip on its lineup of Mac models, expected to be revealed at the event. According to Bloomberg, at the event, Apple could debut 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, possibly powered by M3 Pro and M3 Max chips.

Earlier this week, Bloomberg’s Gurman also reported that Apple retail stores were in short supply of the existing iMac and 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, hinting at new releases arriving soon. He also said that a larger Pro version of the iMac will come in late 2024 or 2025. TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, too, had claimed that a higher-end iMac with a 32-inch mini-LED display would debut in 2025.

Apple is also working on refreshing its iPad lineup; however, don’t expect them to show up at the ‘Scary Fast’ event, which is expected to focus on Macs. The company is reportedly working on refreshes for iPad Air, the entry-level iPad, and iPad mini, which could launch around March 2024. The upcoming event will be livestreamed on Apple’s YouTube channel, website and Apple TV+.

Apple recently released the iOS 18.2 Developer beta 2 update which reportedly included a new feature that enabled users to share the location of lost or misplaced items with third parties such as airlines. The Cupertino-based tech giant has now confirmed the arrival of this feature which is dubbed Share Item Location. It is said to have been rolled out in most regions worldwide with the iOS 18.2 Public beta update and will be available to all users with the public release of iOS 18.2.

Share Item Location in iOS 18.2 Public Beta 1

In a newsroom post, Apple announced that the new Share Item Location feature leverages its Find My network to help users locate and recover lost or misplaced items. It uses Bluetooth to track down the missing devices and report their ballpark location back to the owner. Apple says its new feature also works with the Apple AirTag and other compatible Find My accessories.

Users can generate a Share Item Location link for the item marked as lost in the Find My app on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac, which can then be shared with a trusted person or an airline employee. It redirects to a website with an interactive map which can be accessed by them on any platform, not just on an Apple device. The iPhone maker says that the website will automatically update when a new location is available and will show a timestamp of the most recent update.

To protect user privacy, Apple has also placed some limitations around the new feature. For starters, recipients will be required to authenticate their identity through the Apple Account or partner email address in order to view the link. Additionally, its access will be limited to a small number of people.

To make it work, Apple says it has partnered with more than 15 airlines globally which will introduce its support over the coming months. This includes Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic, which will accept Find My item locations as part of their customer service process for the location of lost items. Furthermore, SITA, an air transport technology company will also develop support for the Share Item Location feature into WorldTracer — a baggage-tracing system which is claimed to be used by over 500 airlines and ground handlers at more than 2,800 airports around the world.

Grand Theft Auto 6 could launch as early as next year. In its latest yearly earnings report, Rockstar Games’ parent company Take-Two Interactive shared massive expectations for the fiscal years 2025 and 2026. This translates to a release window starting in April 2024, with the publisher aiming to achieve over $8 billion (about Rs. 65,905 crore) in net bookings by “launching several groundbreaking titles.” While not explicitly mentioned, a report from IGN suggests that a product of the calibre of GTA 6 could be the main driver for such growth targets. It’s really hard to imagine any other franchise achieving similar results for the company.

The assumption is bolstered by taking Take-Two’s net bookings in the past fiscal year into account, which reached $5.3 billion (about Rs. 43,673 crore), notably thanks to its acquisition of mobile gaming giant Zynga, early last year. Prior to that, the company’s annual net bookings reportedly lay in the ballpark of $3 billion (about Rs. 24,720 crore), and it’s clear that to reach its latest targets — fiscal years 2025–26 — it would need to make several major acquisitions or launch double the amount of titles or release one of the most anticipated franchise follow-ups of all time i.e., GTA 6. For context, Grand Theft Auto V has sold 180 million copies since its launch in 2013.

“For the last several years, we have been preparing our business to release an incredibly robust pipeline of projects that we believe will take our company to even greater levels of success,” Take-Two said in its earnings report. “In Fiscal 2025, we expect to enter this new era by launching several groundbreaking titles that we believe will set new standards in our industry and enable us to achieve over $8 billion in Net Bookings and over $1 billion in Adjusted Unrestricted Operating Cash Flow. We expect to sustain this momentum by delivering even higher levels of operating results in Fiscal 2026 and beyond.” Not many games have generated as much social media buzz since Rockstar Games officially confirmed development on GTA 6, last year, followed by a massive data leak that showcased in-development gameplay footage.

In September, the studio suffered a leak, revealing gameplay footage from GTA 6. A user named ‘teapotuberhacker’ dropped a trove of over 90 videos showing two playable characters — Lucia and Jason — in line with earlier reports which suggested the inclusion of a female lead in the game. Rockstar Games confirmed that the leak was indeed real, with Take-Two adding that it did not affect business and was largely an ‘emotional matter.’ An unnamed 17-year-old from Oxfordshire, England was reportedly arrested under suspicions of hacking and was connected to the hacker group ‘Laspus$,’ which was also allegedly responsible for the Uber leaks.

Besides GTA 6, Take-Two’s upcoming release slate includes BioShock creator Ken Levine’s next game Judas, a new Mafia title from Hangar 13, a new BioShock entry, and its annual lineup of sports games. Meanwhile, it continues thriving on the sales of GTA V, its active online component, and Red Dead Redemption 2 (over 53 million copies sold).

Foldables have indeed come a long way, especially in India. While earlier limited to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold range, 2024 has provided enough variety from a number of manufacturers across foldable segments. You can now get one for as low as Rs. 64,999 in a flippable clamshell form factor or pony up Rs. 1,59,999 for a top-of-the-line book-style foldable that literally competes with premium slab-style smartphones. With the emergence of tri-fold devices, foldables even make those bloated iPhone price tags in India appear palatable for Android users.

And for those curious iPhone Pro users wanting to try out something new, a foldable offers a new form factor and is a value-for-money offering given that they are already paying well over Rs. 1,00,000 for a “Pro” iPhone. And what better Android device to begin with than Google’s own Pixel foldable! It has an almost iPhone-like philosophy, with both the software and chip design controlled by the brand.

Indeed, this is something we are witnessing for the first time in the foldable segment (at least in India). With a long moniker that makes sense given the numerous features it brings to the table, is Google’s first Pro-branded Pixel worthy of its “Pro” branding and its price tag?

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold Review Design: Beauty and the beast

• Dimensions (Folded) – 155.2mm x 77.1mm x 10.5mm
• Dimensions (Unfolded) – 155.2mm x 150.2mm x 5.1mm
• Weight – 257 grams
• Durability – IPX8 water resistance

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold sure looks cool. It has a slimmer, leaner and minimalist avatar, but it’s also the heaviest foldable in the segment

The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold currently has the slimmest design of any foldable in India. When placed on a table next to the OnePlus Open, it literally feels half as thick when folded (because of its thinner camera bump) and abnormally slim when opened. It looks very “Swedish” (read minimalist) in terms of overall design, and I would have loved holding it if it had not weighed over a quarter of a kilo.

Vivo’s X Fold 3 Pro is taller and thicker (by about a millimetre) and is surprisingly more comfortable to hold than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. This is partially due to its slightly narrow design (accompanied by thin bezels), but it is also lighter by 21 grams and has bevelled corners and curved edges.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold (left) is slimmer and flatter, while the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro (right) is easier to hold thanks to its curved edges and bevelled corners

I wish that Google had stuck to its smaller passport-sized design (like the old Pixel Fold), which was unique and special. The original Fold’s design also meant that the device always opened directly in a tablet state (horizontal versus vertical) and so did not need to be reoriented when watching movies. It was the perfect design for a foldable (which most people expect to turn into a tablets when opened), but Google’s designers took a smartphone-first design approach and kind of ruined its USP.

How slim is the Pixel 9 Pro Fold? Here, it is pictured next to Google’s own slab-style Pixel 9 Pro XL flagship

This new approach results in a narrower cover display, which I agree is more comfortable to hold, but this also means you will have to reorient the phone when watching a movie, as explained in the display section below.

Google uses aluminium alloy for the metal parts and has the slimmest profile thanks to its use of flat front and rear panels. However, I’m not confident about its durability because the frame is thin. It’s barely 1mm thick near the hinge, and while it looks sleek, it also feels quite delicate.

With such skinny margins for its front and rear frames, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold does feel quite delicate around the hinge area

Another area where Google manages to chisel down its foldable to beat the competition is the bezel surrounding the main folding display, which literally looks like a glossy sticker.

Lastly, the overall finish of the Fold is a bit lacking when compared to the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s design. While the buttons and port cutouts are a bit sharp, there are minor gaps where the glass panel meets the metal frame. The phone is IPX8-rated, meaning that it can withstand splashes of water from any direction, but do keep in mind that the warranty will not cover any damage caused by the same.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold Review Display: Actually good

• Cover display – 6.2-inch, 1080 x 2424 pixels, full-HD+, 120Hz
• Main display – 8.03-inch, 2076 x 2152 pixels, 120Hz
• Display Type – Cover: OLED, Main: LTPO OLED
• Display protection – Cover: Gorilla Glass Victus 2, Main: UTG

As you can tell from the specifications listed above, only the folding display of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold offers the battery-saving LTPO technology. Both displays show slightly punchy colours at the Adaptive setting, with the same getting toned down at the Natural setting. If you prefer the Natural setting for true-to-life colours, be sure to switch to the Adaptive setting when watching movies on OTT apps, as the displays tend to lose contrast in this mode.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has an attractive overall design, but it’s hard to ignore those thick borders around its cover display.

I liked how broad the cover display is, which also reduces the need to open the phone all the time. Like with the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s display, The well-rounded corner cutouts of the Fold’s design also eat into the viewable display area. It only makes things worse on a foldable as those corners make the rectangular display appear squarish.

Given the main folding display’s size, you get a more usable video viewing area when holding the device horizontally, and that’s the reason why you have to reorient it when viewing video on full screen (non-cropped view). And even then, there’s tons of wasted space above and below (letterboxing), so the squarish aspect ratio is better suited to run two apps side-by-side than for entertainment.

While its bezel is now thinner than before, the main display on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a very noticeable crease

In fact, if you are just looking for a bigger display for watching movies on, the Pixel 9 Pro XL is a better choice because it will last longer than the 9 Pro Fold with a single charge as well.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold Review Software: AI-tastic

• Software – Pixel UI
• Version – Android 14
• Software commitment – 7 years of OS, security and Pixel Drop updates

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the only foldable to offer a proper tablet-style split notification tray with toggles on the left and notifications on the right

There is a lot of detail and attention given to the folding experience. There’s a subtle closing animation with the home screen icons and widgets moving inwards when closing the main display. The lock screen clock also glides to the left when unlocking the device directly from the main display, which is a nice touch. My favourite is the split layout for the notifications tray with toggles on the left and the notifications on the right, which is commonly found on Android tablets that run near-stock Android software.

However, the Pixel 9 Pro’s multi-tasking capabilities are far from what the competition offers. Currently, it’s just limited to running two apps (displayed in full) in Split Screen mode, and that’s about it. The OnePlus Open, despite being the oldest foldable currently available, still seems to offer the best productivity setup with the ability to run three apps in full and another app in a small floating window, for those who need it.

The Pixel 9 Pro’s multi-tasking capabilities are limited to running two apps at a time

While you can read about all the AI features in my review of the Pixel 9 Pro XL, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold does come with a few fun extras. This would include the adorable Made You Look feature, which plays funny animations on the cover display to make kids laugh and smile when on camera. Dual Screen on Meet also lets users show the output from both front and rear cameras together when on a Meet video call. Dual-Screen mode for Live Transcribe is also very useful when on a holiday and can instantly translate 120+ languages. It also comes in use for those with hearing and speech disabilities.

Just like the Pixel 9 Pro XL, Car Crash Detection is now available, with the satellite-based Emergency SOS coming at a later date.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Review Performance: Pretty average

• Processor – Google Tensor G4
• RAM – 16GB
• Storage – 256GB

Despite the many foldable-friendly software refinements, it is a bit disappointing to see the UI stuttering with random apps (including the Google Discover feed). I understand that the Fold’s cover display is not an LTPO unit, but I noticed this very obvious lack of scrolling fluidity with both displays when browsing any app. This became more obvious when I compared it with the Pixel 9 Pro XL side by side. I believe the culprit here is the stricter battery optimisations. Either way, Google desperately needs to fix the jitter and stuttering, as Vivo’s X Fold 3 Pro offers a much smoother software experience at a lower price.

Google also skimps on storage, given that most foldables at this price point easily offer 512GB of storage. In a way, they do back it up with a free 2TB Gemini Advanced plan (for a year), but again, we would have loved to see more storage on a phone that’s this expensive.

I was not able to try out Google’s in-game split-view, which is available for certain titles as a Beta tester, because of some access-related issues. However, I tried Call of Duty: Mobile (at Max and Ultra frame rate) on the cover and main display and found its performance quite satisfactory. Genshin Impact stuttered a lot when the settings were maxed out. Touch sampling or sensitivity is not as accurate, and it felt a bit weird to play FPS games on a square display, even though it provides you with a much bigger display compared to the cover screen.

The phone gets hot while using the camera app outdoors, but it does not seem to affect camera performance (like on previous Pixel models) thanks to the vapour chamber cooling system.

It sure is impressive how Google managed to pack in wireless charging and VC cooling into a phone that’s as thin as a USB-C port when unfolded

For some reason, volume levels like those on the Pixel 9 Pro XL do not seem sufficient, especially while watching movies. I often found myself maxing it out most of the time and still did not find it sufficient in terms of sheer loudness. It also lacks a sufficient bass (even for a foldable).

While the side-mounted fingerprint reader worked just fine, I only needed to use it in dimly lit settings, or those with no light at all, as the secure face unlock system did the job quite well.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Review Cameras: Not what we expected

• Main camera – 48-megapixel (OIS), f/1.7 aperture, AF
• Telephoto camera – 10.8-megapixel (OIS), 5X optical, f/3.1 aperture, AF
• Ultra-wide camera – 10.5-megapixel, 0.5X, f/2.2 aperture, AF
• Selfie cameras – 10-megapixel, f/2.2 aperture, AF (cover/main)

Google’s camera system on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold remains similar to the older Pixel Fold

Indeed, there’s nothing “Pro” about the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s cameras, as they don’t hold a candle to the Pixel 9 Pro XL’s cameras. Regardless, things only get worse when compared with the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro, as can be seen from the camera sample comparison below.

Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold loses to the sharper and more detailed photos produced by Vivo’s X Fold 3 Pro. Also, notice the better dynamic range in low light (tap images to expand)

Unlike most manufacturers trying to squeeze high-resolution camera sensors into their foldables. It remains to be seen whether Google wants to copy Samsung’s camera hardware strategy and stick with the same set of cameras for three generations, as the only real upgrades we have seen this year are with its selfie cameras.

Photos from the primary camera are decent and come out a bit soft when shooting indoors or against any outdoor lighting. When shooting outdoors, colours appear natural, with resolved detail on the lower side and some minor purple fringing. In low light, photos have decent detail but tend to crush the blacks as the older Pixel cameras did.

Edge detection in Portrait mode really needs a lot of work… even for a foldable (tap image to expand)

As with the Pixel 9 Pro XL, Portrait shooting is limited to 1.5X and 2X. However, unlike the XL, the Fold has to handle it all with a rather dated camera sensor, so these digitally scaled crops don’t look great. Portrait mode photos from the rear camera not only lack detail and contrast but also have horrible edge detection that can cut out hair, ears and glasses. So, I recommend using it only in daylight (if you really have to). In fact, I preferred shooting regular photos at 1X and adding an AI blur effect to them in the post, which also provided better detail.

Photos captured at 5X (optical zoom) appear a bit flat and soft (tap image to expand)

Photos from its primary camera (1X) come out alright (tap image to expand)

The 5X telephoto camera, while managing quality photos in daylight, shoots soft images in low light even when resorting to the Night Sight mode. The ultra-wide camera really feels like it’s been added to complete the spec sheet. Video performance is passable in daylight but comes out very noisy in low light; even Google’s Video Boost tool cannot seem to turn water into wine here.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Review Battery: A bit below expectations

• Battery capacity – 4,650 mAh
• Wired charging – 21W
• Wireless Charging – 7.5W wireless (Qi)

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s battery life lasts a full day on a single charge with moderate use. This would include some calls, camera usage, gaming, and frequently switching to the main display. In our video loop battery test, the phone managed to last 12 hours and 50 minutes when using the cover display and 8 hours and 8 minutes when using the larger main display. These numbers are below average for a foldable device, as I have seen better battery performance on foldables like the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro or even the OnePlus Open (which is now a bit dated).

Google does not provide the Pixel 45W charger in the box

Charging speeds are relatively slow, with the phone managing a full charge in 1 hour and 45 minutes when connected to a 61W PD charger. They are on par with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 but nowhere close to what the current Chinese foldables offer both in terms of wired and wireless charging.

Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Verdict

Google’s neatly laid out software and segment-leading AI tricks may come to the 9 Pro Fold’s rescue, which finds itself in the hands of Pixel fans who have been desperately waiting for the foldable to reach Indian shores. But its dated camera system desperately needs an upgrade and does not fit the “Pro” moniker that Google’s chasing for its foldable.

When it comes to practical features that matter to most consumers, like smooth software, good battery life, fast charging and quality cameras, it comes up horribly short of Vivo’s X Fold 3 Pro (Review), making it an antithesis to this year’s Pixel 9 Pro XL (Review), which was a big step in the right direction for Google’s slab-style smartphones.

If you are looking for your first foldable, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 (Review) and OnePlus’s Open (Review) offer extended repair warranties to give you better peace of mind and both of these, like the Vivo, are priced lower than Google’s foldable Pixel.

Valve has launched its much-awaited SteamVR 2.0 update, following a one-month beta testing period in September. While it’s unclear whether the company is laying the groundwork for a new virtual reality headset, the update brings a complete overhaul to the user interface, in a way that matches the current Steam Big Picture mode. The store prioritises new and major VR releases at the top, in addition to making it easy to navigate through a consistent experience across the desktop app, the Steam Deck, and other devices. The update was originally supposed to drop in 2020.

Maintaining a similar feel to the Steam Deck’s interface, all the notifications, chat messages, and even in-game screenshots are now accessible directly while wearing the VR headset. The keyboard has been updated as well to allow for typing in new languages and using emojis — the experience can be further personalised via downloadable themes. Dual-cursor typing should allow for quick problem-solving, and the dashboard comes with battery indicators and charging status for each controller, akin to wireless earbuds. “This is our first big step in a larger ongoing effort to better unify the Steam ecosystem for all users, providing a more consistent experience across devices,” the blog post reads, indicating that the interface will be constantly updated and kept bug-free.

SteamVR 2.0’s release has led to speculations that Valve is planning to launch a new VR device soon. Reports from last month suggested that the company registered a mystery hardware in South Korea — a wireless device, which is presumably a successor to the wired Valve Index, which was released in 2019, before Half-Life: Alyx was launched. A de-facto Steam Deck 2 is out of the question, given its designer Lawrence Yang’s claims that a new one with a ‘significant bump in horsepower’ won’t be launched within the next few years. A standalone VR device codenamed ‘Deckard’ is also allegedly in the works, which is poised to be a competitor to the upcoming Meta Quest VR headsets.

The SteamVR 2.0 update is completely free and can be accessed by clicking Steam, followed by the ‘Check For Client Updates’ option. It’s not very frequent for someone to fire up their VR headset to play games — not a go-to option — so there’s a good chance yours might be out of date. Elsewhere, Steam has revealed its biggest releases from September, which include the rebranded EA Sports FC 24, the expansive space RPG Starfield, the gloomy Pinocchio souls-like Lies of P, and more. The platform also has a Halloween Sale coming up later tonight, October 26 at 10:30pm IST/ 10am PT in the US, bringing heavy discounts on select scary games. Indeed, if you’re ever worried about finding a better price on a major sale, like the upcoming Autumn Sale, you can always check the price history on Steam Database.

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