TechRadar’s Weekly Rundown: Big Apple + Xbox News.

Introduction

In this week’s TechRadar Weekly Rundown, we bring you the biggest headlines from the tech universe with a focus on two of the industry's most influential players: Apple and Xbox. From Apple’s anticipated fall product launches to major shifts in Xbox’s strategy and studio management, this week has been a rollercoaster for tech enthusiasts and gamers alike. Let’s dive deep into the key developments that made waves in Cupertino and Redmond.

Part I: Apple — Gearing Up for a Game-Changing Fall

Apple is never far from the spotlight, and this week, the Big Apple brand served up fresh excitement with WWDC 2025 fallout, leaks around the iPhone 17, and major AI integrations planned for its core platforms.

iOS 19 and Apple Intelligence

Apple took its first giant leap into generative AI during WWDC 2025 by unveiling Apple Intelligence, a cohesive suite of AI tools integrated into iOS 19, macOS 15 (Sequoia), and iPadOS 19. This includes:

• AI-powered writing tools for Mail, Notes, and Safari.
• Siri overhaul with contextual understanding and chat-style interactions.
• Integration with ChatGPT-4.5, bringing OpenAI’s power into the Apple ecosystem for advanced queries and image generation.
• Smart system intelligence that prioritizes on-device processing for privacy.

This signals Apple’s commitment to on-device AI as a core selling point, pushing back against cloud-only models adopted by rivals.

iPhone 17 Rumors Start Early

Despite the iPhone 16 still being months away, leakers have already shifted attention to the iPhone 17 Ultra. According to insider sources:

• The iPhone 17 Ultra will feature a redesigned chassis, potentially a titanium-aluminum hybrid.
• Under-display Face ID may finally arrive, freeing up space for a full-screen experience.
• A 48MP front-facing camera is being tested.
• Apple is also reportedly working on battery-dense materials to extend battery life significantly.

Apple is clearly focusing on design innovation and camera improvements, aiming to stay ahead in a fiercely competitive smartphone landscape.

Mac and iPad Innovations

Apple also introduced macOS Sequoia, which enables iPhone mirroring and tighter integration between devices, echoing Microsoft's “Copilot+” ecosystem vision. The iPad Pro M4 is already gaining traction for its ultra-thin design and tandem OLED display, making it a favorite among creatives and professionals.

Part II: Xbox — A Week of Restructuring, Strategy, and Subscription Shocks

While Apple was busy redefining its AI future, Xbox had its own storm to weather. The Microsoft-owned gaming brand made headline news for internal restructuring, bold game announcements, and a shake-up to Xbox Game Pass pricing.

The Fallout of Studio Closures

Earlier this year, Xbox drew criticism for shuttering key studios including Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks, developers behind beloved titles like Hi-Fi Rush and Redfall. This week, Xbox President Matt Booty publicly addressed the backlash, citing:

• A renewed focus on “fewer, bigger, better” titles.
• Internal concerns about team scalability and post-launch support.
• An effort to streamline resources to flagship studios like Bethesda Game Studios and 343 Industries.

Though the explanation aimed to reassure fans, it raised questions about Xbox’s long-term commitment to developer diversity and innovation.

Xbox Game Showcase 2025 — A Ray of Hope

Despite the studio closures, Xbox delivered a stellar Xbox Games Showcase 2025 packed with major reveals:

• Gears of War: E-Day — A prequel set during Emergence Day, returning to the gritty roots of the franchise.
• DOOM: The Dark Ages — A brutal fantasy-inspired reboot of the DOOM series by id Software.
• Fable — A deep look at the whimsical, RPG-rich world in development by Playground Games.
• Avowed, South of Midnight, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle all received new trailers and 2025 release windows.

This showcase highlighted Xbox’s first-party muscle, providing reassurance that despite layoffs, the content pipeline remains strong.

Game Pass Price Hike and Tier Changes

In a surprise announcement, Xbox revealed that Game Pass Ultimate would jump to $19.99/month (up from $16.99), and the standard Console tier will be retired for new users starting in September 2025. Additionally:

• A new “Game Pass Standard” will launch without day-one first-party titles.
• PC Game Pass pricing remains unchanged — for now.
• Microsoft justified the hike by citing increasing development costs and broader game library inclusion.

Reactions have been mixed, with many fans feeling day-one titles were Game Pass’ main draw. Xbox is clearly betting on core fans sticking with Ultimate — a risky gamble in an era of streaming fatigue.

Apple vs. Xbox: A Tale of Ecosystem Expansion

While Apple and Xbox operate in distinct verticals, they share a core goal: ecosystem dominance. This week made that clearer than ever.

• Apple is building a “walled garden” of AI and device synergy, locking users into seamless workflows between Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
• Xbox is doubling down on content exclusivity, Game Pass scalability, and cloud gaming, hoping to become the “Netflix of Games” despite stiff competition.

Both companies are also embracing AI, albeit differently: Apple focuses on privacy-first, device-native AI, while Microsoft/Xbox leverages Azure for massive cloud processing — including Copilot integration in gaming workflows.

Industry and Consumer Reactions

TechRadar’s community and broader industry voices had plenty to say:

• Consumers praised Apple’s AI direction, especially its opt-in use of ChatGPT and local processing. Critics, however, warn that Apple is lagging behind in raw AI innovation compared to OpenAI or Google DeepMind.
• Xbox’s Game Showcase won applause, but many fans feel betrayed by the Game Pass pricing shift and the studio closures. Trust is being tested.

Analysts suggest both brands are playing long games: Apple wants to lock in iPhone upgrades via AI, while Xbox wants to normalize $20/month gaming as the new standard.

This week in the tech sphere was electrified by major developments from two titans of the industry—Apple and Xbox—both of whom are doubling down on strategies that aim to redefine user engagement, platform loyalty, and the future of digital ecosystems. On Apple’s side, the aftershocks of WWDC 2025 continue to ripple, with the headline-making debut of "Apple Intelligence," a privacy-centric AI suite that represents the company’s most cohesive foray into generative artificial intelligence. Unlike Google’s Gemini or Microsoft’s Copilot, Apple’s approach leans heavily into on-device processing, keeping data localized to ensure maximum privacy while delivering real-time performance improvements in core apps like Mail, Safari, and Notes. This includes context-aware writing tools, Smart Replies, and even the ability to summarize webpages or generate original content using a baked-in integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4.5, which Apple offers as an optional opt-in for users who seek more creative or expansive responses. Siri, which has languished behind its peers in recent years, also received a powerful overhaul, gaining contextual understanding, better voice modulation, and natural conversation capabilities that are deeply tied into system-wide intelligence, making her far more than a glorified voice assistant. This positions Apple to take on Google and Microsoft in the AI arms race while preserving its image as the custodian of user privacy. On the hardware front, leaks surrounding the iPhone 17 Ultra have begun swirling months ahead of the iPhone 16’s official debut. According to reliable sources, the iPhone 17 Ultra may sport a titanium-aluminum hybrid body, an industry-first 48MP front-facing camera, and under-display Face ID that eliminates the need for a Dynamic Island cutout—ushering in the first truly edge-to-edge iPhone experience. Apple is also testing advanced battery materials that could significantly boost battery longevity, especially important as more on-device AI workloads stress the processor. Meanwhile, macOS Sequoia, the new operating system for Mac, introduces impressive features like iPhone mirroring, tighter continuity tools, and enhanced widgets—making the Mac a centerpiece of Apple’s growing AI-augmented ecosystem. The newly released iPad Pro M4, with its ultra-thin chassis and tandem OLED display, is earning rave reviews from creatives and professionals, further reinforcing Apple’s aim to merge portability with workstation-level power. While Apple refines its AI and hardware, Xbox finds itself amidst major structural changes and strategic recalibrations. Earlier this week, Microsoft’s gaming division addressed the controversial shuttering of multiple game studios, including Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks, which had produced cult hits like Hi-Fi Rush and the troubled but ambitious Redfall. In a statement by Xbox President Matt Booty, the company acknowledged these closures were painful but necessary under its "fewer, bigger, better" mandate, aimed at focusing resources on flagship titles and avoiding fragmented support. This corporate pruning, while unpopular, is said to be part of a broader recalibration as Xbox preps for a new generation of first-party dominance. That message was reinforced during the Xbox Games Showcase 2025, where the company presented a compelling lineup that included the reveal of Gears of War: E-Day, a brutal prequel returning to the franchise’s horror roots with striking visuals and emotional storytelling; DOOM: The Dark Ages, which introduces a medieval setting to the iconic shooter franchise and blends visceral combat with a mythic narrative arc; and Fable, which showcased more of its whimsical, grounded world-building and RPG mechanics that are said to rival The Witcher 3 in scope and depth. Other major reveals included trailers for Avowed, South of Midnight, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, all slated for release between Q1 and Q4 of 2025, effectively reloading Xbox’s content pipeline for the next 12-18 months. However, the enthusiasm generated by the showcase was quickly tempered by a major pricing shake-up: Microsoft announced a new Game Pass structure that removes the current Console tier for new subscribers starting September 2025. The new system includes Game Pass Ultimate, which will now cost $19.99/month (up from $16.99), and a new Game Pass Standard tier, which will be more affordable but omit access to day-one first-party releases—a move many fans view as a step backward, as the day-one promise was previously a defining feature of the service. PC Game Pass pricing remains the same for now, but many speculate changes are imminent as Microsoft consolidates Game Pass offerings across platforms. Microsoft justifies the increase by citing rising development costs, broader access to AAA titles, and higher operational expenditures, especially as Game Pass expands to more regions. The broader implication here is that Xbox is attempting to rebrand gaming subscriptions as premium services akin to Netflix or Disney+, where the expectation of ever-increasing quality and exclusivity justifies a higher monthly fee. At the heart of both Apple’s and Xbox’s strategies lies a push toward tighter ecosystem control—Apple through AI and cross-device continuity, and Xbox through platform-exclusive content and subscription modeling. While Apple is slowly morphing its devices into AI-first companions with seamless collaboration, Xbox is making the case that quality-first game development and content exclusivity can win over even skeptical gamers despite price hikes. Notably, both companies are embracing AI in their own unique ways: Apple’s approach is user-privacy focused, championing on-device computation and intentional partnerships with OpenAI; meanwhile, Xbox benefits from Microsoft’s vast Azure infrastructure and Copilot integrations, which are starting to influence everything from development workflows to in-game user assistance. Industry reactions have been varied. Apple’s AI moves have been largely applauded, especially the decision to allow users to opt in to ChatGPT use and the commitment to keep personal data local. Critics argue that Apple may still lag in innovation behind players like Google DeepMind or Anthropic, but the company’s ecosystem advantage could compensate. Xbox, meanwhile, is experiencing a trust crisis among long-time fans. While the Game Showcase 2025 was broadly praised for its exciting titles and production values, many gamers are still reeling from the studio closures and the Game Pass restructuring, which feels like a devaluation of a previously consumer-friendly service. Analysts suggest that both companies are engaging in long-game strategies: Apple is trying to lock in users for the next decade via AI enhancements and hardware upgrades, while Xbox is attempting to normalize a higher price tier for gaming subscriptions as it pivots to more profitable business models. What’s clear is that the future of both companies depends not just on the quality of their innovations, but also on how effectively they communicate value to users in a time of economic uncertainty and subscription fatigue. As the second half of 2025 unfolds, Apple will likely refine and beta-test its AI tools in public releases of iOS 19, while Xbox will begin the marketing engine for its next-gen slate of titles and attempt to stabilize consumer trust. Whether either company succeeds in reshaping their corner of the tech world remains to be seen, but for now, the race is on—and TechRadar is watching closely.

This week’s TechRadar Weekly Rundown shines a spotlight on two titans of the tech world—Apple and Xbox—as they shape the future of their respective ecosystems with bold announcements, strategic shifts, and long-term visions that blend innovation with controversy, ambition, and user-centric reinvention. Apple’s presence continues to dominate headlines in the wake of WWDC 2025, where it unveiled "Apple Intelligence," its long-anticipated foray into generative AI, designed to work natively across iOS 19, macOS Sequoia, and iPadOS 19, offering users a privacy-first, on-device AI system that can summarize emails, generate messages, rewrite notes, and intelligently surface relevant data based on user context, all without compromising personal information by sending it to the cloud—a stark contrast to Google’s Gemini or Microsoft’s Copilot, which heavily rely on server-side processing. Apple’s partnership with OpenAI brings ChatGPT-4.5 to the table in an optional, transparent way, enabling Siri and other apps to tap into more creative or open-ended AI queries only when explicitly permitted by the user, reflecting Apple’s continued emphasis on user consent and data security. Siri itself has been overhauled, gaining real-time contextual awareness, improved speech modulation, and a streamlined UI that can now handle nested queries, proactive suggestions, and live app integrations—making it feel more like an intelligent assistant and less like a voice-activated search bar. Meanwhile, rumors about the iPhone 17 Ultra have begun surfacing even before the iPhone 16’s launch, with trusted leakers hinting at a groundbreaking design shift involving a titanium-aluminum frame, under-display Face ID to eliminate the Dynamic Island cutout, and an industry-first 48MP front camera for ultra-detailed selfies and vlogging, along with experimental battery technologies aimed at significantly increasing battery life in AI-heavy workflows. The Mac side is also seeing major improvements: macOS Sequoia enables iPhone mirroring and deep cross-device integration, making it easier for users to control and manage their Apple ecosystem without switching hardware constantly; meanwhile, the new M4-powered iPad Pro, with its tandem OLED display and ultra-thin profile, is being hailed as a genuine laptop replacement, particularly for professionals and creatives. While Apple advances in AI and hardware integration, Xbox finds itself at a crossroads—balancing some of its most exciting content reveals in years with controversial strategic decisions that are reshaping its reputation among gamers. The fallout from studio closures, including Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks, remains a sore point in the community, with Xbox leadership—specifically Matt Booty—stating that these were difficult but necessary decisions as part of a pivot toward fewer, larger, higher-quality games under a “fewer, bigger, better” initiative, consolidating resources around core franchises and studios like Bethesda, 343 Industries, and Playground Games. Despite this turbulence, the Xbox Games Showcase 2025 delivered in spades, reigniting fan enthusiasm with blockbuster-level reveals such as "Gears of War: E-Day," a gritty prequel that revisits the emotional devastation of Emergence Day; "DOOM: The Dark Ages," a brutal, sword-and-shotgun medieval take on the legendary franchise; "Fable," which now looks richer in tone and RPG depth than ever before; and gameplay updates for "Avowed," "South of Midnight," and "Indiana Jones and the Great Circle," each promising 2025 releases that span genres, aesthetics, and storytelling approaches in bold new ways. However, these content highs were accompanied by a jarring announcement regarding Xbox Game Pass: effective September 2025, the standard Console tier will be phased out for new users, while Game Pass Ultimate will increase in price from $16.99 to $19.99/month, and a new "Standard" tier will be introduced at a lower cost but without day-one first-party titles—marking a significant shift away from one of the service’s original value propositions. This move has triggered frustration and concern among long-time subscribers, many of whom saw Game Pass’s day-one access as a major innovation in how games were distributed and consumed; Microsoft, however, argues that rising development costs, broader content inclusion, and infrastructure investments necessitate the adjustment, especially as Game Pass expands across platforms and regions. Xbox is clearly betting on the long-term sustainability of a premium subscription model—akin to Netflix or Disney+ for gaming—despite a current climate of subscription fatigue. Comparatively, Apple’s ecosystem plays a different but parallel game: it seeks to bind users through tightly integrated hardware, AI, and privacy, creating a user experience that is as frictionless as it is sticky. Apple Intelligence works across all devices, turning them into collaborative hubs of productivity and creativity; Xbox, in turn, is building an entertainment-focused ecosystem where exclusivity, cloud gaming, and Game Pass become the pillars of future success. Both companies are also redefining how AI serves users—Apple through localized intelligence and security, Xbox through Azure-powered, cloud-based enhancements and potential in-game AI features that can dynamically guide or challenge players. Industry analysts are cautiously optimistic: Apple’s moves have largely been praised for privacy and user agency, even if some argue that its AI is more conservative than bleeding-edge; Xbox, meanwhile, earned plaudits for its strong content pipeline, but also faced backlash for perceived monetization creep and a loss of developer diversity. In both cases, these tech giants are leaning hard into their strengths—Apple with design and integration, Xbox with content and cloud services—while testing the patience, loyalty, and wallets of their audiences. What remains to be seen is how these strategies will play out in the marketplace: whether Apple’s slow-but-steady AI rollout cements its role as a digital life companion, and whether Xbox’s expensive bet on subscriptions pays off without alienating core fans. As summer heats up, both companies will face pressure to deliver—not just promises, but tangible improvements that validate their respective visions. Whether it’s Apple leading the future of AI-powered mobile computing or Xbox transforming how we experience and pay for games, one thing is clear: both are racing toward an ecosystem-first future, and we’re all along for the ride.

Conclusion

In the evolving tech landscape, both Apple and Xbox are doubling down on their core strengths while trying to future-proof their platforms. Apple’s seamless device integration and privacy-first AI give it a unique edge in an increasingly competitive AI race. Meanwhile, Xbox’s robust 2025 lineup offers a promising gaming future — but only if it can balance consumer trust with business realities.

Next week promises even more developments as Apple heads into beta season for iOS 19, and Xbox begins marketing for its upcoming heavy hitters. One thing’s for sure: the tech wars are heating up, and consumers are both the battlefield — and the prize.

Q&A Section

Q1:- What is Apple Intelligence, and how is it different from other AI platforms?

Ans:- Apple Intelligence is Apple’s new AI suite introduced at WWDC 2025. Unlike cloud-based AIs like Google Gemini or Microsoft Copilot, Apple Intelligence processes most data on-device, prioritizing privacy and seamless integration with iOS, macOS, and iPadOS apps.

Q2:- What major features are rumored for the iPhone 17 Ultra?

Ans:- Rumored features include a titanium-aluminum chassis, under-display Face ID, a 48MP front camera, and new battery technologies designed to significantly extend battery life.

Q3:- Why did Xbox raise Game Pass prices and remove the Console tier?

Ans:- Microsoft cites rising development costs, the need to fund more high-quality games, and changes in content strategy. The Console tier removal aims to streamline Game Pass into fewer, more profitable tiers.

Q4:- What were the standout games at Xbox Games Showcase 2025?

Ans:- Key highlights included Gears of War: E-Day, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Fable, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, all of which showed strong visuals, compelling narratives, and 2025 release windows.

Q5:- How are Apple and Xbox using AI differently?

Ans:- Apple uses on-device AI with privacy in mind, while Xbox relies on cloud-based AI through Microsoft Azure, including Copilot integration for productivity and gaming enhancements.