Enthrone

Update: Though it didn't make an appearance at this year's E3, PlayStation's Shawn Layden confirmed to German publication Golem.de that the PlayStation 5 would definitely happen. It would, however, be a while off he told them. 

How far off exactly? Layden didn't say anything certain but analysts are predicting anywhere between 2018 and 2019. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, analyst Damian Thong (who previously predicted the PS4 Pro and Slim) suggested that the console would arrive in the latter half of 2018.

Another analyst, however, believes we'll have to wait a little longer. Speaking to GamingBolt, Michael Pachter said that though he thinks the PS5 will be a half step and will be backwards compatible with the PS4 Pro he doesn't think we'll see it until "2019 or 2020 but probably 2019." 

This slightly later release, he says, would make more sense as it would fall in line with predictions for when the 4K TV market in the US will reach 50%. "I think Sony has probably got the next console cycle lined up already", he says, "I think they already know what they've got to do."

Original article continues below…

It's hard to say when we'll see the PS5, or PlayStation 5 if we're being formal. Though Shawn Layden confirmed in an interview with Golem.de that the PlayStation 5 would be coming eventually, he did say it would be a while away. 

He didn't say anything more certain than this but we're settling in for a long wait for a couple of good reasons.  

The console market is in a weird place right now, and this has big implications for what form the PS5 might end up taking. 

A lot of this has to do with Sony's announcement of the PS4 Pro, a mid-generation console upgrade that's expanded the hardware's functionality sufficiently. Sony now has a system that's capable of both HDR and 4K upscaled gameplay which, for most gamers, is more than enough for the time-being.

But, perhaps even more importantly, the console's existence and recent success has called into question whether a proper follow-up to the PS4 will ever be needed. We might be moving towards a more iterative hardware cycle. 

Analysts are predicting we could see the PlayStation 5 anywhere between 2018 and 2019. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, analyst Damian Thong (who previously predicted the PS4 Pro and Slim) suggested that the console would arrive in the latter half of 2018.

Another analyst, however, believes we'll have to wait a little longer. Speaking to GamingBolt, Michael Pachter said that though he thinks the PS5 will be a half step and will be backwards compatible with the PS4 Pro he doesn't think we'll see it until "2019 or 2020 but probably 2019." 

This slightly later release, he says, would make more sense as it would fall in line with predictions for when the 4K TV market in the US will reach 50%. "I think Sony has probably got the next console cycle lined up already", he says, "I think they already know what they've got to do."

Though Sony currently has the most powerful console on the market with its PS4 Pro, Microsoft is about to throw a spanner into the works with its Xbox One X (due in November 2017), and that might spell trouble for Sony. 

But just because Microsoft launches a system doesn't mean that Sony will counter immediately – there are good reasons to believe that Sony is less comfortable with the idea of taking a mobile phone-style “upgrade every year” approach to consoles in the future, including comments from Yoshida himself. 

Also, it boils down to simple economics: it’s well documented that the longer a console can persist on the high-street shelves, the more profitable it becomes, as economies of scale reduce manufacturing costs, while a large installed base means publishers can sell more copies of their latest games.

What does that mean for the PS5? Will Sony's fifth console come to fruition? What would it do differently? What can it do differently? 

For right now, at least, we don't have all the answers. 

But instead of twiddling our thumbs and waiting for Sony to plop the next system on our laps, we've done some digging to try and get to the bottom of the mystery that's kept us up at night: What is the PS5 and when is it coming out?

We’ve got the TVs: can we have proper 4K gaming?

The PS4 Pro offers a tantalising hint of what 4K gaming could be like. But the stark fact remains: it still doesn’t have the grunt to do 4K properly. 

Its “checkerboard” technique of taking single pixels and using each to render four pixels in 4K resolution is clever, but now 4K TV sales are gaining traction, it’s reasonable to expect console technology to advance to a level at which it can display 4K output natively. 

Chris Kingsley, CTO and co-founder of developer Rebellion, dangles an even more ambitious technological carrot in front of a putative PS5: “Obviously new hardware should be able to support 4K TVs and possibly even 8K TVs at a push!” 

Native 4K support, surely, will be a basic requirement of the PlayStation 5? And if Sony cracks that particular problem with alacrity, it could even mean that a PlayStation 5 will arrive sooner than anticipated.

The VR effect

Sony recently became the first console manufacturer to embrace virtual reality, thanks to the PlayStation VR, but if you examine PlayStation VR closely – and observe how it operates on the PS4 Pro – it invites speculation about how a PS5 might take VR to a new level. 

Currently, PlayStation VR operates at lower resolution than the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive – but, as it stands, even its current incarnation almost pushes the base PlayStation 4 beyond its limits. Running a PlayStation VR on a PS4 Pro brings improved frame-rates, which are very handy indeed in terms of the overall VR experience, but even the PS4 Pro can’t overcome the resolution constraints set by the PlayStation VR headset.

 So it’s a good bet that, presuming PlayStation VR is successful (and it already appears to be catching on) Sony will want to return to the market with a second, markedly higher-tech iteration: which would provide an obvious selling point for the PlayStation 5. 

And if a PlayStation VR 2 headset could be sold without an external black box, it should be markedly cheaper, further accelerating VR’s march into the mainstream.

 Rebellion’s Kingsley makes another good point about second-generation VR. “Anything that reduces the leads has to be a good thing,” he says. 

The umbilical cord which currently attaches VR headset-wearers to their consoles or PCs obviously goes against VR’s entire immersive nature, and we’re already beginning to see, for example, a third-party implementation for the HTC Vive that renders it wireless. It’s a safe bet that the capacity for running a wireless PlayStation VR 2 will be built into the PS5. 

But Kingsley’s PlayStation VR 2 wish-list goes further: “Wide vertical and horizontal field-of-view would be top of my list, and of course, that would require 4K resolution per eye, and high dynamic range would be great too.” 

HDR and wider fields of view should be achievable but sadly, we don’t reckon full 4K VR is likely to be a possibility even for the PS5. As Kingsley points out, that would require 4K rendering per eye, which equates to 8K rendering overall, which we expect to be beyond the PS5’s capabilities. 

That said, perhaps Sony will find some clever technological bodge to get around that before it releases its fifth PlayStation console.

What form will the PS5 take?

It has been suggested that future consoles could take radically different forms to current ones, thanks to advances in cloud computing bringing about the ability to stream games, thereby doing away with the components that make consoles so bulky. But we don’t reckon Sony will take a more Nintendo-like approach and put the PS5 in a tiny box. 

One reason for that is that with the PS4, Sony has only just committed to using what are basically the innards of a PC – the first three PlayStation variants used proprietary components which, in the PS3, were so esoteric that the console flopped. Developers, certainly, are massively relieved that the PS4 took the PC route. 

“Developers want the ability to make the best games using the minimum amount of effort. We want to focus on being creative and getting things to just work,” Kingsley says. “So the hardware should be based around current console hardware, which is in turn based on PC hardware. We always want fast CPUs and GPUs, but lots of fast RAM is also very important – it’s no use having fast processors if they are starved of data.” 

All the above are achievable, but will the PS5 still have a hard disk? 

Sony Computer Entertainment President and CEO Andrew House spoke at the PS4’s launch about how deciding to put hard disks and 8Gb of RAM in the PS4 were both “Billion-dollar decisions”. Yet any PS4 owner will tell you that the aspect of the console they hate most is its wilful inability (unlike the Xbox One variants) to accommodate external USB hard disks. 

Given that 4K games by definition contain much more data than 1080p ones, that issue will become exacerbated if a native 4K PS5 arrives. Any PS4 owner would put support for external USB hard disks top of their wish-list for the PS5, but given that Sony (inexplicably) declined to let the PS4 Pro support them, we aren’t hopeful of that.

Streaming games

Of course, if games were just streamed to the PS5 that problem would disappear entirely, and Sony already has a game-streaming service in the form of PlayStation Now. 

So why isn’t this more of a definite feature rather than something on our wishlist? Well, Sony is remaining tight-lipped about PlayStation Now uptake figures, but we suspect they are pretty unimpressive. It has certainly had issues with setting the right subscription charges, given that PlayStation Now effectively gives backwards compatibility – a “luxury” that was previously free for owners of PlayStation 2s and 3s. 

But the biggest issue is broadband speeds. Even 4K TV requires a minimum of 25Mbps broadband in order to provide satisfactory streaming, and it’s doubtful whether 4K game streaming – with extra information on top of the visual side – would even work reliably at such speeds. There would be nothing to stop Sony launching a small form-factor cloud-based version of the console for those with mega-fast broadband, perhaps with a mobile phone-style subscription model that has an upfront hardware costs. 

But for the PS5 to sell anything like its predecessors, there would have to be a conventional version with similar innards to the PS4. 

In his recent autumn statement, chancellor Philip Hammond announced an infrastructure investment aimed at bringing fast broadband and 5G mobile data to the UK. But the earliest that would have an impact would be 2021, and the PS5 will almost certainly arrive before then. Perhaps its first mid-cycle update, though, will be a streaming version which takes advantage of burgeoning 5G networks?

Optical discs or not?

The rise of download games, which continue to eat into the physical disc market, means that pundits have been predicting that consoles will go discless for about a decade now. However, our guess is that the PS5 won’t be the first system to risk venturing down that road, at least not until it catches wind of Microsoft doing the same thing. 

Sony has taken a lot of (justifiable) flak for not putting a 4K Blu-ray drive in the PS4 Pro – making it a less attractive purchase for film and TV buffs than the Xbox One S. 

Surveys continue to show that gamers are still attached to the possibility of buying games on physical discs – not least because they can then sell them (a practice that the games industry hates), and due to their persistent hard disk space issues, although it’s only the current generation of consoles which has insisted on installing entire contents of Blu-ray discs onto hard disks. 

If Sony were to axe the Blu-ray drive from the PS5, gamers would expect several terabytes of storage in compensation. 

Kingsley gives a developer’s view on the topic: “I think the days of delivering films and games via disc are on the decline, as most people are going digital; however, some people like physical discs, so who knows  whether that decline will level out and remain present but at a lower level than now?”

Upgradable or not?

Microsoft has revealed its biggest weapon in its crusade to consign the console cycle to oblivion. Project Scorpio, due at the end of 2017, will include some form of upgradability. Which, bearing in mind how little we know about the console at this juncture, may be required in order for Project Scorpio to run games in full native 4K, or could perhaps pave the way for it to run HD or 4K VR games in future. 

It would be easy for Sony to take such a route with the PS5, since it will share PC architecture with Microsoft’s consoles. But even for Microsoft, with its PC legacy, an upgradable console is quite a punt: the components which would be the most likely candidates for upgrades, the CPU and GPU, would themselves come in at roughly the cost of an entire new console, and telling gamers that can only run certain games in all their finery if they upgrade their consoles is a very alienating ploy. 

Sony is much more comfortable with the concept of console cycles, which means it is less likely to add upgradability to the list of the PS5’s attributes. But, that said, it will closely watch what Microsoft does with Project Scorpio.

So when can we expect the PS5?

Given that the PlayStation 4 was launched in 2013 and Sony’s previous consoles arrived in six-year intervals, it would be easy to project that it will launch the PlayStation 5 in 2019. The sort of technology available then should easily allow full native 4K games without saddling the PS5 with a massive price-tag and, by 2019, 4K TVs will be the norm, rather than the exception, in the average household.

 So it would be a surprise if Sony doesn’t want to capitalise on that at the earliest possible juncture. However, Kingsley points at the PS4 Pro, and reckons that could have an effect on the length of the current console cycle: “It’s a difficult one to judge, but overall I think it’s fair to say that the overall cycle will lengthen slightly.” 

Especially if the PS4 Pro wildly outsells the base PS4, which admittedly isn’t something we anticipate happening once it has reached a critical mass of households with 4K TVs. 

So perhaps 2020 might be the year in which Sony unleashes the PS5 on the world, as the first native 4K console with wireless VR … as long as Microsoft doesn’t get there first.

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Cloud storage may be more popular, cheap and accessible than ever, and portable USB drives still have their place, but there's a lot to be said for optical storage like DVDs too. If you want to back up data, it makes sense to have a physical copy as well as one stored in the cloud, for instance, and customized DVDs filled with video footage and photo slideshows make great gift after a wedding or other special event. That's why you need DVD burning software.

As with so many types of software, burning tools can be on the expensive side — but this doesn’t need to be the case. There are some great free DVD burners around, and we've rounded up the very best so you can choose the one that's right for you. If you want create a video DVD, for example, you can install a program dedicated to that task, whereas others are better suited to disk images.

If you want a free DVD burner for creating video DVDs, WinX DVD Author is the tool for you. It can be used to transform just about any video file (MKV, MP4, FLV, MPEG, MOV, RM, RMVB, H.264, AVI) into a disc that you can use in a regular DVD player, complete with interactive menus.

You can add multiple videos to a disc, the program will help you to create menus, and you can also trim videos if you only want to include a snippet from them. If you want to make more substantial changes before burning your DVD, check out our guide to the best free video editing software.

There are customizable menu templates to choose from, and you can even add background music. Support for subtitles is a very nice touch, and you can also convert videos into VOB files, or burn existing VOBs to a DVD.

On top of all this, there's a standard DVD burning component that you can use to back up data of any description, although this is very much a no-frills part of the program. If you want a free DVD burning program specifically backing up your important files, read on for more options.

Download here: WinX DVD Author

With support for data and audio CDs, data DVDs, and ISO burning and creation, just about the only thing missing from Burn4Free DVD Copy is the option to create video DVDs.

This free DVD burning software looks a little basic, and you have to watch out for menu items and toolbar buttons that link to paid-for extras. All of the basics are covered though, so if you're looking for a simple everyday free DVD burning program, this could well meet your needs.

While the software itself is great, the same can't be said of the installer. Burn4Free uses a download manager that offers to install extra software you might not want. You can opt out by hitting the Decline button, so watch out for it.

You'll also be invited to install trial versions of other software from the same company, but only the main Burn4Free DVD Copy program is free.

Download here: Burn4Free DVD Copy

CDBurnerXP has been around for a very long time – as you can tell from its name – and the reason it's endured for so long is that it does its job so well. It looks very simple at first glance, but looks can be deceiving.

This free DVD burning software lets you create a range of discs, including audio CD, MP3 CD, data DVD, video DVD (albeit from existing VIDEO-TS folders). It can also work with disc images, and create direct copies of existing CDs and DVDs.

Whichever option you choose, you'll find the interface is simple to use, support drags and drop, and needs little explanation. CDBurnerXP just gets the job done.

When downloading the software, make sure you're not tricked into installing an unnecessary browser extension. There's also a bundled copy of the Opera web browser, but you're given enough warning to opt out if you're not interested.

Download here: CDBurnerXP

BurnAware Free is described as "full-fledged, easy-to-use burning software", and that's a pretty neat summary. This free DVD burner has a huge number of features to offer, and manages to rival paid-for alternatives in many ways.

In addition to CDs and DVDs, BurnAware Free supports Blu-ray burning, and if you're looking to use it for backup purposes, you'll be pleased to hear that it can span burns across multiple discs if necessary. You can create and burn disk images too, and any task you undertake is wonderfully fast.

The interface is clean, clear, and a joy to work with, and it’s so simple to use it serves as a great introduction to the world of disc burning for even the most nervous novice.

There's (optional) Byte Fence adware bundled into the installer, so watch out for that, but apart from that it's hard not to recommend this free DVD burning software.

Download here: BurnAware Free

Perhaps the closest thing to a free version of Nero and software of that ilk – at least in terms of looks – DeepBurner Free demands more than a cursory glance.

This is a free version of a premium program, so there are inevitably a few limitations to persuade you to upgrade. Opting for the free version basically means you're limited to creating audio, data or bootable CDs and DVDs, or working with image files. There are no fancy extras, and the interface has something of a utilitarian feel. It's a shame there isn’t the option to create photo or video discs, but you might not need these options.

There's also a portable version of the program available, which is ideal for popping onto a USB stick. You never know when it might come in handy!

Download here: DeepBurner Free

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There’s been an interesting development on the iMac Pro front with Intel’s revelation of its full line-up of Xeon server-grade processors from the Purley platform.

These new CPUs are rumored to drive the powerful all-in-one, but there doesn’t appear to be a top-end CPU in the range which matches the specifications Apple previously stated.

Apple said that the iMac Pro would use eight, 10 and 18-core processors with a maximum Turbo speed of up to 4.5GHz, but as Mac Rumors observes, the fastest CPUs in the revealed Purley chips only run up to a Turbo clock of 4.2GHz.

Specifically, the quickest chip that matches Apple’s mentioned core counts is the Intel Xeon Gold 6144 which is an eight-core CPU with a base clock of 3.5GHz and Turbo to 4.2GHz.

So that leaves room for a bit of head scratching here: these Purley processors may be fine for most of the machines in the range, but when it comes to the top-end iMac Pro, what processor is Apple planning to use exactly, given that there is no 4.5GHz model in existence?

Mac Rumors offers up a simple explanation: Intel hasn’t announced all its Purley models yet, and there’s a beefier one in the pipeline which is destined for the higher-end iMac Pro. We’re inclined to agree with this suggestion.

The other explanation could be that this is a simple miscommunication between Intel and Apple, or just a plain error by Tim Cook’s firm when it came to revealing these details. Although you would hope that wasn’t likely, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility.

Pieces of the Purley puzzle

It doesn’t seem likely that the rumors about Purley are incorrect, given everything else matches up and fits together too neatly – including the iMac Pro’s exorbitant cost, plus its launch date of December (this is likely to be the reason Apple is waiting until the end of the year, rather than bringing the all-in-ones out earlier).

Ultimately, we have to bear in mind that this is still only a rumor.

The Purley speculation emerged a few weeks back, after Pike’s Universum did some digging around in the firmware files for the iMac Pro in the latest beta of macOS.

According to this rumor, Apple’s all-in-one will also have an ARM coprocessor alongside the Purley Xeon CPU, which will be in place to help tighten security on the machine, adding support for a feature known as Apple SecureBoot. A Touch ID fingerprint reader may also be incorporated.

All we truly know at this point, however, is the aforementioned core counts Apple has announced, and a few other confirmed pieces of info about the hardware: the iMac Pro will have AMD Radeon Vega graphics, up to 128GB ECC memory and 4TB SSD storage. This helps the machine tol offer 11 teraflops of single precision compute performance.

• We’ve highlighted the best all-in-one PCs of 2017

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KFC is making a phone. Yes, really. It’s pairing up with major Chinese manufacturer Huawei to create a special KFC branded device to celebrate 30 years of the fast-food company selling buckets and chicken in China.

It’s essentially a Huawei device encased in a red KFC-like logo picture and emblazoned with a photo of the Colonel on the back as well as the year 1987 when KFC finally made it to China.

The image in the marketing also suggests there will be some KFC themed software with the white bearded mascot providing a background and the KFC app coming pre-installed.

There’s also an app called K-Music, which according to the marketing material will allow you to pick songs you want to hear when you’re in one of KFC’s 4,000 restaurants throughout China.

That means you’ll be able to choose the music you’re listening to while you’re eating that chicken, but it won’t work outside of China. 

Huawei and KFC are in cahoots

According to Mashable, this device is called the KFC Huawei 7 Plus which is a phone we’ve never even heard of. 

It may be the Huawei Honor 7 Plus, but it doesn’t look to be that device from the photos we've seen and there’s also the newly launched Huawei Enjoy 7 Plus, but again it doesn't look the same in the photos.

Spec wise we only know it’ll come with 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and microSD support up to 128GB. We can also see a fingerprint sensor on the rear of the phone and a single lens camera on the top left.

It doesn't look like the phone will be waterproof, but it'd be helpful if it was so you'll be able to wash the chicken grease and gravy off your device after a visit to the fast-food restaurant.

Tmall – a major retailer in China – will begin selling the KFC Huawei 7 Plus from Thursday for the equivalent of $160 (£125, AU$210).

It’s a similar scheme to the Pepsi phone, which was a device made for the Chinese market that featured Pepsi branding scattered all over it for no real clear reason. We don't know why you'd buy this, but clearly some people like KFC and Pepsi enough to make it worthwhile for the manufacturers.

You shouldn’t expect the KFC phone to come to the US, Australia or UK anytime soon though, this is almost certainly a China exclusive only.

• Do you remember the Pepsi phone?

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For decades, the DSLR (digital SLR) has been the top choice for anyone who wants to take their photography to the next level. Whether you're a beginner or a pro, a DSLR offers three key ingredients: manual controls, excellent picture quality and interchangeable lenses.

Mirrorless cameras are another option of course. They're smaller, mechanically simpler and, like DSLRs, they take interchangeable lenses. If you want to know more about how they compare, read this: Mirrorless vs DSLR cameras: 10 key differences. Or, if you want to know more about different camera types in general, check out our step-by-step guide: What camera should I buy?

A DSLR is still the cheapest way to get a camera with interchangeable lenses and a viewfinder (entry-level mirrorless cameras don't have viewfinders) and, at the other end of the scale, almost all professional sports, press and wildlife photographers choose full-frame DSLRs over every other camera type. 

That said, there are some mirrorless cameras out there like the Fuji X-T2 and Sony Alpha A7R II that are taking the place of DSLRs in pro photographer's kit bags.

In between entry-level and full-frame DSLR are a whole range of models aimed at different users, different levels of experience and different budgets. Here's our pick of the standout DSLR cameras you can buy right now:

Canon's EOS 5D series of cameras has a rich heritage – the original EOS 5D bought full-frame photography to the masses, the Mark II unleashed Full HD video capture for the first time on a DSLR, and while the Mark III became a firm favourite amongst photographers. The 5D Mark IV pretty much tweaks and improves on everything before it. With a new sensor that delivers pin-sharp results, a 61-point AF system that's incredibly advanced and some very polished handling, the EOS 5D Mark IV has to be one of the best DSLRs we've seen. A serious investment, but you won't be disappointed.

Read the full review: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

The full-frame Nikon D810 might be getting a little old compared to rivals (there are rumors we might see a replacement later this year), but this Nikon is still a great buy. It's built like a tank, it handles beautifully and it doesn't cost the earth – well, when compared to the EOS 5D Mark IV that is. The D810 follows the D800E and ditches the anti-aliasing filter that's usually placed in front of DSLR sensor. This is in order to maximise its formidable resolution, which while it has been eclipsed by the Canon EOS 5DS and Sony Alpha A7R II, still delivers stunning results with huge amounts of detail. If you're into sports, action and wildlife photography, the Nikon D5 and D500 have faster continuous shooting speeds, but neither can match the D810's outright image quality and value for money.

Read the full review: Nikon D810

With 50.6 million effective pixels, the 5DS is by far the highest resolution full-frame DSLR on the market. The same goes for the 5DS R, which is identical to the 5DS, but features an anti-aliasing cancelation filter over the sensor to help resolve a little more detail. Pixel-packed sensors can be compromised, but not here. Image quality is superb, with fantastic detail, well controlled noise and good dynamic range. The 5DS is now the benchmark for full-frame image quality, but it’s not quite perfect. There’s no Wi-Fi or Ultra HD video recording, and huge image file sizes necessitate decent memory cards and a fast computer. The 5DS out-resolves any other full-frame camera on the market in our lab tests.

Read the full review: Canon EOS 5DS

Nikon has taken their flagship D5 DSLR and most of its high-end features and distilled all of this into a smaller, but still very durable metal body. The full-frame sensor is replaced by an 20.9MP APS-C sized chip. That does mean the D500 can shoot at a rapid 10fps and the high ISO performance is that bit better, while the 153-point AF arrangement is perhaps the best autofocus system out there right now. A brilliant all-rounder, it excels at fast action like sports and wildlife photography, but still has the chops to shoot landscapes and portraits. If the cost is a bit steep, then Nikon's just announced the D7500 that sits below that D500 and inherits many of its tech, including the 20.9MP sensor.

Read the full review: Nikon D500

Just like D500 above, the EOS 7D Mark II borrows much from its big brother, the EOS-1D X (that's now been replaced by the EOS-1D X Mark II), bringing 10fps shooting and a professional autofocus system to the amateur market. Now you can shoot action and sports like the pros, but at a price within the reach of enthusiasts. The EOS 7D Mark II isn't just a high-speed specialists, it's a terrific all-round camera. It's tough, with an alloy body and weather-sealed controls, it has a great sensor with an advanced dual-pixel hybrid autofocus system, and it's a powerful video camera too.

Read the full review: Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Cheaper than the D500 and while it doesn't offer quite the same pro-spec performance, the Nikon D7500 packs in the same excellent 20.9MP sensor, but in an even more compact and affordable body. The new camera may not get the 153-point AF system from the D500, but the enhanced 51-point system in the D7500 still puts a lot of rival systems in the shade, while the 4K video capture, tilt-angle touchscreen display and 8fps burst shooting are some of the highlights. The D7500 is bound to be a tempting prospect for both new and existing users. Alternatively, take a look at the 24.2MP D7200 – it may have been surpassed by the D7500, but it's still one of the best enthusiast DSLRs out there.

Read the full review: Nikon D7500

Like the looks of Nikon’s D810 further up the top, but don’t want to shell out quite that much, then look no further than the 24MP full-frame D750. It doesn’t have that magnificent 36-megapixel sensor that the D810 does, but its 24-megapixel alternative still delivers top quality results, especially at high ISO settings. The D750 is also a bit more versatile than the D810, with a faster 6.5fps continuous shooting speed, a handy tilting screen and a lower price – and you still get the enhanced autofocus system and Picture Control 2.0 options of the D810.

Read the full review: Nikon D750

At the opposite end of the spectrum to some of the full-frame DSLRs here, the D3300 is cheap as chips, has one of the sharpest APS-C sensors there is and a neat retracting kit lens. It's proof that you don't have to pay a fortune to get a great camera, and we say its sheer value for money makes it just as impressive as much more advanced (and much more expensive) alternatives. It has the same 24-megapixel non-antialiased sensor as the best of Nikon's APS-C format DSLRs, and although the controls are designed to be simple for novices, in the right hands the little D3300 is a match for cameras costing far more. Recently replaced by the D3400, the spec and design is pretty much identical, but the newer model offers better connectivity. If that isn't a key consideration, the D3300 is the better buy. 

Read the full review: Nikon D3300

Costing quite a bit more than the Nikon D3300, but offering quite a bit more in the way of features, the Canon EOS Rebel T7i (known as the EOS 800D outside the US) is a great entry-level DSLR. The new sensor impresses, as does the 45-point autofocus system backed up by excellent live view AF, while the newly designed graphical interface will certainly make this camera even more appealing to new users. The absence of 4K video and the quality of the exterior materials disappoint, but this aside, if you're looking for a well-rounded and easy to use camera for your first DSLR the EOS Rebel T7i / EOS 800D is certainly a very good bet. 

Read the full review: Canon EOS Rebel T7i / EOS 800D

The K-1 offers a rugged build and a full-frame sensor at a relatively affordable price. It's not cheap, but it compares favourably with the likes of the Nikon D810, Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Sony Alpha 7R II. Pentax's Pixel Shift Technology is clever, and it's great that the company has managed to produce a mode that can be used when the camera is handheld, although the impact is subtle. Less of an all-rounder than the 5D Mk III, the K-1 makes an excellent camera for landscape, still life and portrait photography, or any genre that doesn't require fast autofocus and which benefits from a high pixel count for detail resolution.

Read the full review: Pentax K-1

• Camera reviews
• Best entry-level DSLR
• Best mirrorless camera
• Best full-frame DSLR

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Logitech wants gamers' ears. That much is obvious, given the fact it has just announced it is buying the premium gaming headset manufacturer Astro.

The company will be picking up the makers of the "preferred headset for console esports athletes" for a cool $85 million in cash. 

Though Logitech has a solid line-up of gaming headsets of its own, Astro's gear is often cited among the best-of-the-best when it comes to surround sound headsets, and were among the first to sell equipment with a dedicated mixamp. If Logitech has struggled to court the eSports pros, this purchase will certainly help in that regard.

A console play

Perhaps the most interesting aspect here however is that Astro has its A10 headset range – a console-focussed line of cans that moves away from Astro and Logitech's PC home-turf.

While Logitech's headset has previously supported consoles (if only passively) Astro has  amore defined position in the market. It opens Logitech up to that massive market in an aggressive way – and at a time when the console eSports scene is heating up.

It's a massively competitive market – you just need to look at the range of brands that make up our best gaming headset list to see that. Logitech and Astro both make an appearance, and together they could easily come out on top in the future.

• Check out our pick of the best PC gaming headsets, and best console gaming headsets

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It’s expected to be a big year for Apple. It’s the tenth anniversary of the iPhone and as such the iPhone 8 looks set to be a very special model, packed full of more tech and features than usual. But that ambition has unsurprisingly caused problems and two of the big new features of the phone might not be ready in time for launch.

While the hardware is apparently in reasonable shape, a source speaking to Fast Company claims that certain elements of the software aren’t ready. Most notably the software that powers the long-rumored wireless charging isn't up to scratch yet.

Apparently, Apple is using the Qi wireless charging standard, or some version of it, so don’t expect the fancy long-range charging that was the subject of early rumors.

But even Apple’s seemingly more conventional solution isn’t quite ready on the software side, so the company might ship the iPhone 8 with wireless charging tech built in, but only enable the feature later once the software has been perfected.

We heard a similar rumor not long ago, and it’s believable, as Apple did the same for Portrait Mode on the iPhone 7 Plus – building the required hardware into the phone, but only enabling the software once it was in a state the company was happy with.

More software stumbles

It's not just the wireless charging software that’s proving problematic, as the front-facing 3D sensor apparently isn't ready either. This is another long-rumored feature, believed to be used for facial recognition, and while the source wouldn’t confirm that they did claim that the hardware is fine but the software isn’t.

That too could be enabled after the launch of the iPhone 8 then, though the source reckons the 3D sensor’s software will probably be ready in time.

And even if both of those features are disabled at launch, arguably the biggest feature of the iPhone 8 is seemingly in better shape, with the source saying that “in all likelihood” the fingerprint scanner would be built into the screen.

Whatever shape the iPhone 8 launches in you shouldn’t have too long to wait for it, with a September or October launch likely.

• A cheaper iPhone 7S could be coming too.

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Since before the console was released users have been clamoring for video streaming services to make their way to the Nintendo Switch. 

Now the console has finally received its first such app, although it's unlikely to be one that many western users will have used, or even have heard of. 

The service itself is called Niconico, and it's a Japanese video sharing site in the same vein as YouTube. 

So where are Netflix and YouTube?

Niconico is a far cry from mainstream streaming services, but its arrival signifies that Nintendo is serious about bringing non-gaming functionality to the Switch. 

In the past Nintendo has confirmed that streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu will be coming to the console 'in time', but so far we haven't seen much movement in the area. 

At least the arrival of Niconico shows that there is development happening in the area, suggesting that similar apps from YouTube and Netflix might be closer than we'd previously thought. 

• Nintendo Switch tips and tricks – 9 tricks for getting the most out of your new console

• Via: Engadget

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Thanks to the likes of Virgin Media, BT Infinity and Sky Fibre, you can now wave goodbye to the nightmare of sluggish web browsing, interrupted catch-up TV and slow downloads. Faster fibre broadband is now more affordable and widely available than ever before – and we've found the cheapest deals this side of Black Friday.

If you thought that the best broadband deals were reserved for slower ADSL internet connections, think again. Fibre optic broadband is a bloody battleground for the major providers, which means frequently fantastic prices for the consumer. You can pick up unlimited fibre broadband from Plusnet for as little as £24.99 per month.

So check out our fibre broadband deals comparison chart above to pick out the package that suits you – whether you're after a fibre plan that includes TV channels, a flexible phone offer or simply fibre broadband internet on its own. Below we explain everything you need to know about fibre optic broadband – including fibre broadband availability –  followed by more information on providers including BT Infinity, Sky, Virgin Media, EE and more.

See also: Broadband deals | BT broadband deals | Sky broadband deals | Virgin broadband deals

What is fibre broadband?

We don't want to get too technical here – the main thing to take from this is that fibre broadband is far faster than traditional ADSL internet. It uses fibre optic cables to send and receive data, resulting in a speedier, more reliable internet connection.

So instead of being stuck with maximum standard speeds of 17Mb, you can at least double that to 38Mb for download speeds of around 4.75MB per second. As well as facilitating ridiculously fast downloading, the extra speed is ideal for large households where lots of people are using the internet at once. If you stream 4K films and TV or play a lot of online games, fibre broadband is a must to ensure the highest-quality user experience.

All of the most popular providers – including Sky, TalkTalk, EE, Plusnet, Vodafone, John Lewis and the Post Office – offer a 38Mb fibre broadband plan, while BT goes one better. Its BT infinity fibre broadband starts at speeds of up to 52Mb (6.5MB per second).

If you're wondering why we haven't mentioned Virgin Media broadband yet, it's because its super fast service is slightly different again. It uses coaxial cable instead of copper fibre optics to connect your home to the exchange. That basically means even faster internet speeds for you – between 50Mb (6.25 MB per second) and an incredible 300Mb (37.5 MB per second).

Fibre broadband checker – is fibre broadband available in my area?

There's one extremely easy way to discover whether fibre broadband is available where you live – head to the top of this page, type in your postcode, hit 'compare deals', and if any results come back then you can indeed get fibre. Fibre and cable broadband is currently available in around 90% of the UK's homes, so the odds are in your favour.

What contract length should I go for?

Standard 12 month contracts used to be the norm, but more and more providers now set their minimum contracts at 18 months. There are two ways to look at this – on one hand, getting a longer contract some times also means that you are guaranteed the initial price for a longer period. So no nasty surprises half way through the term.

But at the same time, you obviously have less flexibility, being tied in for half a year longer. If you hate the idea of such a long contract, then head back up to our comparison chart and use the filter to see only year-long deals. There will be fewer to choose from, but there are still excellent prices to be had.

Will I have to pay anything upfront for fibre broadband?

Most providers ask for at least something when you take up their fibre broadband deal. This will usually be an activation fee, which covers the cost of getting you hooked up. There may also be an additional delivery charge to pay to get hold of your new router. In most cases, expect to pay between £10 and £60, although the likes of TalkTalk and Plusnet often run offers where they scrap all upfront costs.

Do I have to pay more to have a phone line?

Nope, all of the prices in our comparison chart include the land line. Providers used to specify how much you were paying for the phone line and internet separately, but now it's standard practice just to bundle them up together and give one single price. We welcome this change, as it makes the whole buying process a lot more straightforward. Having the phone line allows you to make calls if you still use a landline, and the basic price sometimes includes free or cheap weekend calls. If you want to add any other usage packages, you can use our comparison table to find more options, like evening, anytime and international calls.

BT Infinity broadband

For most people, BT will still be the first name that springs to mind when they think of broadband. Infinity is the of its fibre broadband packages – choose from the following options:

BT Unlimited Infinity 1 | Up to 52Mb
The maximum 52Mb download speed (around 6.5 MB per second) from BT Infinity 1 is faster than most other providers' entry-level fibre broadband. You also get the rangey BT Smart Hub router, instead of BT's standard Home Hub.

BT Unlimited Infinity 2 | Up to 76Mb
Fast enough to keep up with downloading and streaming from multiple members of your household. It doesn't come cheap, but does include 500GB of cloud storage, the Smart Hub and usually a very generous prepaid Reward Card to spend as you would a Mastercard.

View all BT Infinity broadband deals

Sky fibre broadband

On the face of it, the TV giant's basic Sky Fibre package looks like an amazing price. But beware – you're limited to only 25GB of data every month. See what else is on offer:

Sky Fibre | Up to 38Mb | 25GB data limit
Sky Fibre offers a competitive price point if you want fast broadband but don't do a great deal of downloading or streaming. You're limited to 25GB per month, but that's plenty for dealing with emails and generally browsing the web.

Sky Fibre Unlimited | Up to 38Mb
Costing around a tenner more than Sky Fibre, Unlimited gives you exactly what it says on the tin – there are no restrictions at all on how much you use the internet with this plan.

Sky Fibre Max | Up to 76Mb
Sky's premium broadband plan throws in some extras to justify the increased price. The 76Mb (around 9.5MB per second) maximum speed matches most of the fastest fibre plans around (Virgin excepted) and you get a Sky Q Hub router for free.

View all Sky Fibre broadband deals

Virgin Media fibre optics broadband

Virgin Media cable broadband offers unparalleled internet speeds – no other provider can touch even its entry-level package. You can choose from:

VIVID 50 fibre broadband | Up to 50Mb  Virgin is now available for less than £30 a month thanks to new VIVID 50. So look at our postcode checker above to see if it's available on your street.  

VIVID 100 fibre broadband | Up to 100Mb
You'll need to pay over £30 to get Virgin's cheapest broadband package. But you're unlikely to feel too shortchanged with the connection speeds.  The 100Mb claimed speed translates to 12.5 MB per second. 

VIVID 200 fibre broadband | Up to 200Mb
As Virgin proudly points out, VIVID 200 more than doubles the maximum speed supplied by BT Infinity and Sky Fibre's fastest speed. The ultrafast 200Mb speed is a good fit if you stream 4K films and if there are 10 or so devices connected at once. 

VIVID 200 Gamer | Up to 200Mb
There's more than just the 'boss-level broadband' tagline that should appeal to gamers about this fibre package. Pay an extra fiver from the standard VIVID 200 to bag up to 20Mb upload speeds – handy for online gaming. And you don't have to worry about online traffic management that can slow you down at peak times. 

VIVID 300 fibre broadband | Up to 200Mb
Home broadband speeds in the UK don't come faster than those provided by Virgin's VIVID 300 fibre plan. It costs almost £50 a month, but you get speeds of up to 37.5MB per second. Extremely rapid.

View all Virgin Media fibre broadband deals

TalkTalk fibre broadband

TalkTalk frequently manages to come up with brilliant, cheap deals on fibre broadband. The added bonus…it doesn't charge an activation fee when you sign up:

TalkTalk Faster Fibre | Up to 38Mb
The price for TalkTalk's entry-level fibre broadband includes your phone line and set-up. Unlike most other providers, you can choose your contract length: 12, 18 or 24 months.

TalkTalk Faster Fibre  Broadband with Speed Boost | Up to 76Mb
TalkTalk's superfast broadband offering is one of the most competitively priced, and the absence of a set-up fee only sweetens the deal. This is the TalkTalk plan to go for if you have a multitude of data-hungry folk in your home.

View all TalkTalk fibre broadband deals

Plusnet fibre broadband

Although Plusnet is owned by BT, it is continuing to operate in its own right and tends to be more affordable than its parent company. It has two broadband options:

Plusnet Unlimited Fibre | Up to 38Mb
Choose between a 12 and 18 month contract for Plusnet Unlimited Fibre, and get unlimited usage, 365 days a year support and a Plusnet Hub One router delivered to your door for free.

Plusnet Unlimited Fibre Extra | Up to 76Mb
The same, only much faster! Take the Unlimited Fibre package above and double the download speed.

View all Plusnet fibre broadband deals

EE fibre broadband

A name more commonly associated with mobile phones, the UK's fastest 4G network is trying to make EE your one stop shop for landline broadband too. You can choose from:

EE Fibre Broadband | Up to 38Mb
EE fibre broadband prices are quite attractive, but even more so if you're already a phone customer. Then, you'll be granted an extra 5GB of monthly data allowance on your mobile contract.

EE Fibre Plus Broadband | Up to 76Mb
It will cost you an extra few pounds to crank up the speed to EE's fastest Fibre Plus Broadband. Like the entry-level package, you get a free subscription to Norton antivirus and the option to upgrade to EE TV.

View all EE fibre broadband deals

Vodafone fibre broadband

Another name more familiar in the mobile phone world, name more commonly associated with mobile phones, but there are excellent prices to be had for existing Vodafone customers:

Vodafone Unlimited Fibre 38 | Up to 38Mb
You might find that Vodafone's prices are a little on the high side. But don't let that put you off if you're already a Vodafone mobile customer – you'll get £3 knocked off your monthly tariff. And there's only a pound to pay upfront.

Vodafone Unlimited Fibre 76 | Up to 76Mb
Faster broadband, but the same £3-off perk if you're already on Vodafone. That makes Vodafone a very enticing option if you want 76Mb and are already committed to the red network.

View all Vodafone fibre broadband deals

SSE fibre broadband

Already one of the 'Big Six' energy companies, SSE is now offering cheap prices on fibre broadband. As you might expect, the prices get good if you use SSE as your energy supplier.

SSE Superfast Fibre Broadband | Up to 38Mb
SSE doesn't have a 72Mb option, so you'll have to go elsewhere. But the 4.75MB per second broadband speed will still be ample for most small households and deliver seamless surfing and streaming. Existing SSE energy customers get an automatic £25 credit on their next bill and there's a 25% saving to be made on an additional landline phone package.

View SSE Superfast Fibre Broadband

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