USB-C laptops
One connector, many capabilities. Check three things: charging wattage (65 W covers most thin laptops), data speed (USB4 or Thunderbolt 4 and 5 for docks and fast drives) and whether every port charges or only one.
Hardware hub · Updated weekly
Devices Worth a Look
The hardware changes that affect what you buy next, minus the launch-event gloss.
Buying With the Calendar
Hardware news is easier to use when you link it to dates. In 2026, three are worth pinning: 28 April, when USB-C charging becomes mandatory for new laptops in the EU; 31 July, the deadline for EU countries to bring the right-to-repair directive into national law; and 13 October, when consumer Extended Security Updates for Windows 10 end and many households will replace older PCs.
Big launch seasons repeat each year. Apple typically announces iPhones in September, Samsung holds Galaxy Unpacked events early in the year and again in summer, and CES in Las Vegas opens the calendar each January with laptops and TVs. Prices on previous models often fall soon after.
Why it mattersBuying a few weeks after a launch usually gets you last year's model at a fair discount.
On the Bench This Week
Wi-Fi 7 routers
The 6 GHz band and Multi-Link Operation bring lower latency in busy homes. Without Wi-Fi 7 clients, a mesh system or better placement often helps more.
Matter smart home gear
Matter devices work with Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa and SmartThings. Thread-based devices also need a Thread border router, often built into smart speakers.
Chips: Arm, x86 and RISC-V
Apple moved the Mac to its own Arm-based M1 chip in November 2020 and has iterated yearly since. Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus arrived in Windows laptops in June 2024, alongside Microsoft's Copilot+ PC push. Intel and AMD answered with more efficient x86 designs, such as Intel's Core Ultra and AMD's Ryzen AI lines.
For most people the result is simple: battery life of a full working day is now common across all three camps. App compatibility on Windows on Arm has improved, but specialist tools, older games and some drivers still deserve a check before you switch.
RISC-V, an open instruction set managed by RISC-V International, is spreading in microcontrollers and development boards. The Raspberry Pi Pico 2, launched in 2024, includes RISC-V cores alongside Arm ones, a cheap way to experiment.
Why it mattersPick by your apps first, then by chip; the architecture matters less than it did five years ago.
Repair and Longevity
The EU right-to-repair directive, Directive (EU) 2024/1799, requires manufacturers of products such as phones, washing machines and vacuum cleaners to offer repair after the legal guarantee and to supply parts at reasonable prices. Separate EU ecodesign rules for phones and tablets, applying from June 2025, set requirements for battery durability, spare parts and software updates.
Brands built around repair, such as Framework laptops and Fairphone phones, show what modular design looks like. iFixit's teardowns and repairability scores remain a useful independent check before buying.
Why it mattersA device you can repair cheaply is a device you do not have to replace early.
Quick Buying Checklist
- Confirm the update policy: how many years of security patches?
- Check charging wattage and port types, not just "USB-C".
- Match Wi-Fi generation to your router and your router to your devices.
- Look for Matter on smart home devices.
- Check spare-part availability and a repairability score.