GPT-5 Arrives: Is This a Good Thing? / Say Goodbye to the 128GB iPhone / Our 2-Month Gemini Experiment

Not displaying correctly? View this newsletter online.

TODAY'S TOP STORY

Most of the GPT-5 Updates Are a Snooze. Wake Me When Artificial General Intelligence Arrives

It's Friday, and it's the first day out in the wild for OpenAI's GPT-5 model. From what we can tell, it's an incremental improvement—not a science fiction breakthrough. In some areas it offers PhD-level smarts, but in others it's worse than its predecessor, which has been retired.

This might have been the worst week ever for cybersecurity, Uber is hiding its sexual assault reports, and a glitch in Google Gemini triggers its inner self-hatred. We also reviewed Framework's first desktop PC (we like) and Nvidia's RTX 5050 graphics card (we have a few bones to pick).

This week the PCMag editorial team met to brainstorm our big bets and areas of focus for 2026. And we'd like to hear from YOU. What do you like about our coverage? Are there areas where we can improve? Which new technology topics would you like to see us tackle next year? Drop us a note with your thoughts.

End of 128GB? iPhone 17 Pro Reportedly Moving to 256GB Base Model

A new leak says the company will be moving to a base of 256GB for the iPhone 17 Pro. It may be mimicking how it works on the company's Pro Max models.

Read More

DJI Can't Find Anyone in the US Government to Talk About a Potential Ban

The drone maker says it has struggled to find representatives in the US government willing to discuss an audit of its business, which is required by year's end to avoid a ban.

Read More

Steam For Chromebooks Will Shut Down Later This Year

Google has announced it will be closing the beta of Steam for ChromeOS. The service will end on New Year's Day, 2026.

Read More

This Scary EV Charger Hack Could Burn Down Your House

Trend Micro researchers made a small modification to home EV chargers to disable internal protection against overheating. The results, outlined here at Black Hat, were explosive.

Read More

TSMC, Samsung Might Be Spared From Trump's 100% Chip Tariff

Officials in Taiwan and South Korea say they don't expect Trump's 100% tariff on foreign chips to affect TSMC or Samsung, likely due to their factory investments in the US.

Read More

I'm Living Proof That an AI Coach Can Actually Make You More Productive

I tested Google's Gemini AI for two months to see if it could boost my output and transform my daily routine. My boss and my wife both noticed the results.

Read More

PCMAG PICKS

Improve Your Outlook: The Best Smart Glasses We've Tested

Upgrade your eyewear with glasses that can function as cameras, headphones, and AR displays. We've tested all the major models and have everything you need to know to pick the best smart glasses for you.