ICYMI: the week's 9 biggest tech news stories from Apple's MacBook Neo to launch to Xbox's new console tease

Here's your firmware update for March 7, 2026

07 Mar 2026, 11:00 · TechRadar

News By Mark Wilson, Hamish Hector Contributions from Lance Ulanoff, Harry Padoan, Matthew Bolton published 7 March 2026

(Image credit: Future / Apple)

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This week we went to MWC and were treated to some major Nothing and Apple launches including the Apple MacBook Neo.

There's a lot of news coming from the tech world this week, so we've had to bump or usual seven-story-long ICYMI to a whole nine articles, so we have no time to dilly-dally in this intro.

When you've finished scrolling here check out our picks for the seven new movies and TV shows this weekend (March 6).

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9. We reviewed the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

(Image credit: Peter Hoffmann)

Samsung pulled off a neat trick with its Galaxy S26 Ultra. It’s not a reinvention and, at a glance, could be mistaken for the S25 Ultra. However, it made key updates to lenses, image processing, design, materials, and raw power that should please most Galaxy fans (all without raising the price). The new phone is also over-stuffed with AI, but certainly makes some of the best use of on-board Gemini. However, it's two other bits of innovation that lift the S26 Ultra above all other Androids: Privacy Display and Super Steady Horizontal Hold. The former is the first smartphone hardware-based privacy screen, and the second, well, you have to try this “gimbal in your smartphone” to believe it.

Read the full story: I tested the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, of course it's the best Android phone ever

8. ChatGPT was cancelled over its Pentagon deal

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Could ChatGPT one day power autonomous killing machines? That’s the question many are asking after OpenAI signed a deal with the Pentagon after Anthropic’s Claude was labelled a “supply chain risk” for making that one of two red lines in its rejected version of a similar deal.

OpenAI claims that it shares Anthropic’s belief that AI shouldn’t make the decision to kill a person, or be used for mass surveillance of US citizens, but leaks suggest its deal with the Pentagon is a little looser than Anthropic’s would have been — with OpenAI’s version saying the Pentagon must follow the law and its internal guidance, both of which could be changed by the US government and Pentagon officials in the future.

As a result users have abandoned ChatGPT in droves, and switched over to Anthropic’s AI in what appears to be a ringing endorsement of its AI ethics. Though as Anthropic is reportedly in talks to make a deal with the Pentagon after all we’ll have to wait and see if it too makes compromises.

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