According to a recent leak from Weibo user “Instant Digital,” next year’s iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max will retain their titanium chassis, contrary to earlier reports suggesting that Apple might shift to aluminium for its 2025 lineup. The Information’s Wayne Ma had previously indicated that Apple’s flagship ‌iPhone 17‌ Pro models could be the first high-end iPhones to feature an aluminium frame since the lineup’s split into Pro and non-Pro models.

Historically, high-end ‌iPhone‌ models used stainless steel frames until the iPhone 15 Pro introduced a titanium chassis, which was touted as a significant upgrade. However, Ma’s report suggested a return to aluminium for the entire ‌iPhone 17‌ lineup. Instant Digital, however, disagrees, stating on Weibo (via machine translation), “Of course, the iPhone 17 Pro will still use titanium. Why would anyone believe it would switch to aluminium? Think about it — it’s just not possible. Looking back at recent iPhone models, Apple has consistently emphasized the premium frame materials of the Pro series as one of its key selling points, from ‘surgical-grade stainless steel’ to ‘titanium.’ If they switched to aluminium, how could they even market it?”

The Weibo leaker’s claims, however, lack verification from supply chain information, and Ma’s report details a significant design change involving an aluminium upper back with a rectangular camera bump made of aluminium instead of traditional 3D glass, while the bottom half would remain glass to support wireless charging. Apple has a history of introducing and then discontinuing breakthrough features in its iPhones. For example, the 3D Touch feature introduced with the iPhone 6s in 2015 was phased out with the iPhone 11 in 2019.

Despite Instant Digital’s mixed accuracy record with Apple rumours, the leaker has made some accurate predictions, such as the Yellow iPhone 14 launch in 2023, the frosted back glass on the iPhone 15 and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus, the minor refresh for the Apple Watch Series 9, and other notable features. The iPhone 17 series is expected to debut in the fall of 2025, featuring new display sizes, a rumoured ultra-thin model, and ProMotion displays across the lineup. As always, the anticipation for Apple’s latest innovations continues to build.

As the new year approaches, tech enthusiasts have much to look forward to, particularly with the upcoming global launch of the OnePlus 13. Having already made its debut in China, OnePlus has officially confirmed that the OnePlus 13 will be available worldwide in January 2025.

The flagship smartphone will come in three colour options: Midnight Ocean, Black Eclipse, and Arctic Dawn. Notably, this marks the end of the green colourway, which has been a hallmark of OnePlus flagships in recent years. While it remains uncertain if blue will become the new signature colour, many fans are hopeful.

OnePlus highlights that the Midnight Ocean variant will be the first phone to feature micro-fibre vegan leather, designed to provide a luxurious feel while being resistant to scratches and scuffs. Additionally, the OnePlus 13 will boast IP68 and IP69 ratings for water and dust resistance on the international market, addressing past criticisms of lacking official IP certifications despite capable designs.

Rumours also hint at the launch of the OnePlus 13R and OnePlus Watch 3 in early 2025. Moreover, leaks suggest that the base model of the OnePlus 13, featuring 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, will only be available in the Black Eclipse colourway. Those interested in the Midnight Ocean or Arctic Dawn options might need to opt for the higher-end variant with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.

Meanwhile, Samsung has yet to confirm the launch date for its highly anticipated Galaxy S25 series. However, based on previous trends, it is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2025.

Intel is gearing up to launch its next — and potentially final — lineup of desktop graphics cards in just 10 days. Announcing the budget-friendly Arc B580 at $249 and Arc B570 at $219, Intel has positioned these cards as the “best-in-class performance per dollar” in the GPU market. The B580 is set to ship on December 13th, while the B570 will follow on January 16th.

The new cards are built on Intel’s Xe2 “Battlemage” GPU architecture, the same technology found in Intel’s Lunar Lake laptop chips, but significantly enhanced for desktop performance. With more than double the graphics cores, up to 12GB of dedicated video memory, and up to 190W of power, the B580 boasts the capability to outperform Nvidia’s $299 RTX 4060 and AMD’s $269 RX 7600 in certain benchmarks, though it still faces stiff competition.

Intel’s benchmarks show the B580 running 10 percent faster on average than the RTX 4060 across various games at 1440p and ultra settings when paired with Intel’s high-end Core i9-14900K CPU. Titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, Returnal, and The Witcher 3 achieve an average of over 60fps with this setup, surpassing the RTX 4060’s performance. However, Nvidia’s card still leads in games such as Starfield, Gears 5, and certain Assassin’s Creed titles, demonstrating the competitive landscape of GPU performance.

Compared to the previous generation A750, which originally retailed for $289 but is now available for $180, the new B580 runs 24 percent faster on average. This performance boost is more evident in scenarios where memory constraints are an issue, thanks to the B580’s 12GB of video memory compared to the 4060’s 8GB. For instance, in Forza Motorsport, the Nvidia card outperforms the Intel one, 86fps to 77fps, but with ray tracing enabled, Intel’s B580 takes the lead with 64fps to 57fps.

Intel’s own Arc B580 Limited Edition card will feature two fans, and a single 8-pin power connector, and promises “whisper quiet” performance. Additionally, manufacturers such as Acer, ASRock, Gunnir, Sparkle, Maxsun, and Onix will produce their versions of the card.

In addition to the new hardware, Intel is rolling out upgrades to its XeSS technology. The new XeSS 2 will offer frame generation, significantly boosting frame rates by creating new frames between existing ones, and an Xe Low Latency mode aimed at eliminating the latency penalty of frame generation. This new technology will be integrated into various upcoming games, including F1 24, Marvel Rivals, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and more.

Intel’s budget-friendly approach with the Arc B580 and B570 is a refreshing addition to the GPU market, providing more memory and bandwidth at competitive prices. However, the future of Intel’s discrete graphics cards remains uncertain, following recent comments from former CEO Pat Gelsinger. For now, Intel’s latest offerings are set to make a significant impact in the market as they roll out in the coming weeks.