The Morning After: Samsung’s Galaxy XR enters the chat

This week, Samsung showed off Galaxy XR, its Vision Pro-troubling headset, and you can bet we’ve done a deep dive. Sam Rutherford got one of these strapped to his head and has plenty of feelings about the new hardware.

The headset is lighter, more comfortable and easier to live with than Apple’s Vision Pro, even if it lacks many of its headline features. The software ecosystem is already pretty broad, thanks to Google making a real effort with Android XR, but dedicated apps are still a bit rare.

Samsung’s entry into the market might provide some much-needed impetus for this type of augmented reality headset. That it’s half the price of Apple’s Vision Pro may also loosen some wallets eager to get into this world.

But it’s hard not to see this as Samsung running down the same cul-de-sac Apple is now lurking at the end of. It has allowed other companies, like Meta, to waltz in and grab an early lead in the much more useful smart glasses market.

— Dan Cooper

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Apple MacBook Pro M5 14-inch review: A huge graphics upgrade for creators and gamers

The GPU is the star here.

Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

Apple’s online-only announcement of the new vanilla M5 MacBooks might have been a sign the new models were no big deal. But Devindra Hardawar found these were, in fact, quite a big deal, and the M5’s faster GPU has the chops to go toe-to-toe with a gaming PC.

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Toyota’s new all-hybrid RAV4 has software you might actually want to use

It wants to offer a better alternative to your smartphone.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

Toyota isn’t happy folks just default to CarPlay or Android Auto for their in-car infotainment. That’s why it’s chosen to radically redesign its OS for the 2026 RAV4 to include voice and touch control. Tim Stevens has ridden the new whip and has plenty of opinions on whether it’s worth your time or, you know… you’ll just default to CarPlay or Android Auto.

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iPad Pro M5 review: Speed boost

We reviewed the iPad Pro M5 and had some feelings.

Nathan Ingraham for Engadget

As much as I may want an iPad Pro, it wouldn’t play a role in my life that would get anywhere near to justifying its extortionate price. Consequently, I shall just live vicariously through Nathan Ingraham, who reviewed the M5 edition and found it to be a work of art. But, you know, it has a price so eye-watering that nobody who’s on the fence about owning one should bother. Then, Nate pivoted to writing about how the iPad Pro has, at least, carved out its own identity.

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New report leaks Amazon’s proposed mass-automation plans

It plans to replace more than half a million employees.

Amazon may be planning to use automation to eliminate more than half a million jobs in the next few years. The New York Times claims to have seen internal documents outlining the plans and the PR operation that’ll get underway ahead of time to quell public anger.

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Binance founder Changpeng Zhao lands a Trump pardon

Nothing to see here, move along.

Maybe there’s nothing interesting about the fact Changpeng Zhao was just pardoned by President Trump despite pleading guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act. I mean, yes, Zhao has ties to World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency venture linked to the Trump family. But that’s not uncommon, is it? Surely everyone would use the privilege of high office to exonerate people with whom they potentially have fruitful relationships. Right?

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111555814.html?src=rss