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The iPhone 6S (above) is now officially ‘vintage’ – despite not looking radically different to today’s iPhones
Apple has just labeled the iPhone 6S as “vintage”
The same designation has been applied to the 2018 Mac mini
This means repairs are more limited should something go wrong
Are you still using aniPhone 6Sor a2018 Mac mini? If you are, we’ve got some bad news:Applehas just declared both products to be “vintage” on itsvintage and obsolete products page, which means you’ll get much more limited service and repairs for them if anything goes wrong.
The iPhone 6S andiPhone 6S Pluswere released in 2015 and came with a few notable milestones. They were the first iPhones to come with Apple’s 3D Touch tech, while they were also the last to featureheadphone jacks.
In addition, Apple strengthened the chassis of the devices to prevent the kind of ‘bendgate’controversy that befell the iPhone 6. The iPhone 6S was last offered for sale by Apple in 2018.
The 2018 Mac mini, meanwhile, was the last Mac mini to come with anIntelprocessor rather than anApple silicon chip(the first of which – the M1 – debuted in 2020). And it was the first (and so far only) Mac mini to come in a space gray finish.
The 2018 Mac Mini (above) has joined the iPhone 6S on Apple’s perilous ‘vintage’ list
Other than taking many of us on a trip down memory lane, this news has some practical implications for those who are still running an iPhone 6S or 2018 Mac mini.
Apple labels a product as “vintage” when at least five years have passed since the company last offered it for sale. Products that last went on sale seven or more years ago are designated as “obsolete.”
Now that the iPhone 6S and Mac mini have been declared “vintage,” that means your repair options are more limited. You can get them fixed at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs), but only if the required parts are available. Third-party shops might be able to repair your device if Apple or its AASPs won’t.
The next step – declaring a product to be “obsolete” – means that Apple Stores and AASPs generally will not repair your device, with Apple declining to provide replacement parts. In that case, you have no option but to either rely on a third-party repair shop or upgrade your device.
So, if you are still using an iPhone 6S or 2018 Mac mini, you’ve still got a little longer before Apple stops offering repairs. That said, with these devices getting long in the tooth – and products like theiPhone 16andM4 Mac minioffering far better performance – now might be a good time to look at upgrading to one of thebest iPhonesandbest Macsyou can get.
Snipping Tool feature now in testing will sort you out in a jiffy
Windows 11 is powering up the Snipping Tool in testing right now
A new feature allows you to copy all the text from an image straight away
There’s no need to take a screenshot first, as was previously the case, so this is a neat time-saver
Microsoftis making it even easier forWindows 11users to be able to extract text from images (or any content) on the screen.
Windows 11 already has this OCR-powered (Optical Character Recognition) ability, as you may be aware, but at the moment, it’s necessary totake a screenshot first with the Snipping Toolbefore you can extract text from that image.
With a new update for the Snipping Tool that’s just been released (which was leaked previously), you don’t need to grab a screenshot to perform text extraction any longer – although bear in mind this is still in testing at this point (so may still be wonky).
AsNeowin reports, with previewversion 11.2503.27.0of the Snipping Tool, you can simply hit theWindows + Shift + Skeys together, and this will pop up the capture bar for the tool.
However, instead of having to create a snip (screenshot), the ‘text extractor’ option will be right there in the bar, so you can just click that, with no need to save a screen grab first.
Essentially, this is directly integrating the ability to extract text from images (or any screen content) into Windows 11, with no additional steps needed, mirroring the functionality present in Microsoft’sPowerToys suite of tools(for advanced Windows users) – and it’s definitely going to be appreciated by folks who use this capability.
It’s obviously less of a hassle than having to clear the hurdle of actually grabbing a screenshot, if all you’re interested in doing is copying all the text that’s currently visible on your monitor.
I sayallthe text, but that’s only what happens if you use the ‘Copy all text’ option provided. If you just want a specific portion of text, you can manually select and extract only those words (it’s also possible to remove line breaks if you want).
Microsoft is slowly expanding Windows 11’s OCR powers, and you may recall that late last year, thePhotos app got Optical Character Recognition built into pull text from images directly within the application.
Google is testing even more new features in its Messages beta app
These include an expanded 14-line message view and new RCS message labels
While these are still in beta testing, they could start rolling out to users this month
Over the past couple of months,Googlehas been doubling down on eradicating all traces of Google Assistant to makeGeminiits flagship voice assistant, but amidst the organized Gemini chaos, Google has been paying a lot of attention to improving its Messages app, giving it some much-needed TLC.
It’s safe to say that the new revisions to the Google Messages app have significantly improved its UI. Itsnew snooze function for group chats alsocomes to mind, but Google is still in its beta testing era. For a while, Google was experimenting with aneasier way to join group chats,followingWhatsApp’s footsteps. Now, it’s testing five more features that could make up the next wave of Google Messages upgrades this month.
Although these features are in beta, there’s been no comment on whether they’ll be officially rolling out to users. With that said, we’ll be keeping an eye out for any further updates.
Just a few weeks ago, we reported on a new upgrade found in Google Messages beta indicating thatGoogle would get better at handling lengthy text messages.
For a while, Google Messages users have been restricted to a four-line view limit when sending texts, meaning that you would need to scroll to review your entire message before sending. This is particularly frustrating when sending long URL links.
But that could soon be a thing of the past, as9to5Googlehas picked up a new beta code that reveals an expanded message composition field on thePixel 9athat now reaches up to 14 lines.
Recently, Google has been testing new in-app labels that could distinguish whether you’re sending an SMS or RCS message.
Thanks to an APK teardown fromAndroid Authority, the labels found in beta suggest that soon you’ll be able to see which of your contacts are using RCS in Messages, adding a new RCS label to the right side of a contact’s name or number.
Unsubscribe from automated texts
This is a feature we’re quite excited to see, and we’re hoping for a wider rollout this month. A few weeks ago, anunsubscribe buttonwas spotted at the bottom of some messages, which could give users an easier way of unsubscribing to automated texts and even the option to report spam.
When you tap this, a list of options will appear asking you for your reasons for unsubscribing, which include ‘not signed up’, ‘too many messages’, and ‘no longer interested’ as well as an option for ‘spam’. If you select one of the first three, a message reading ‘STOP’ will be sent automatically, and you’ll be successfully unsubscribed.
Read receipts gets a new look
(Image credit: 9to5Google)
Google could introduce another revamp of how you can view read receipts in the Messages app. In November 2024, Google tested a redesign of its read receipts that placed the checkmark symbols inside the message bubbles, which used to appear underneath sent messages.
In January, Google tested another small redesign introducing a new white background, which could roll out soon, and while this isn’t a major redesign, it’s effective enough to make read receipts stand out more.
Camera and gallery redesign, and sending ‘original quality’ media
We first noticed that Google Messages was prepping anew photo and video quality upgrade. In March, more users started to notice a wider availability, but it’s still not yet fully rolled out, meaning it could be one of the next new updates in the coming weeks.
Essentially, Google could be rolling out a new option that allows you to send media, such as photos and videos, in their original quality. This will give you the choice of the following two options:
‘Optimize for chat’– sends photos and videos at a faster speed, compromising quality.
‘Original quality’– sends photos and videos as they appear in your phone’s built-in storage.
I’ve been an iPhone user since 2009 when I got my first iPhone 3G, and since then I’ve been a loyal customer, upgrading annually to the best smartphoneApplehas to offer.
WhenSamsungreleased the S25 series of smartphones earlier this year with AI at their core, I knew I had to finally give Android a proper go and see whatGoogle’s mobileoperating systemwas capable of.
Over the next few weeks I’m going to pit my S25’sGalaxy AIfeatures against my iPhone 16 Pro Max’sApple Intelligencecapabilities to see which smartphone has AI features worth using compared to those that are just a gimmick.
When I received the S25, early last week, the first thing I decided to do was test Galaxy AI’s photo editing prowess, after all,Clean Upon iPhone is one of the most complete Apple Intelligence features to date, or so I thought.
To start my Galaxy AI Generative Edit versus Clean Up comparison, I decided to start by erasing my French Bulldog, Kermit, from his very plain grey bed. I thought this was a good starting point as while the bed is a plain background, there would be the shadow of the dog coming from the natural sunlight of the window in front of the camera.
Galaxy AI had no issue removing Kermit from his bed, in fact not only did it remove the shadow, it continued the brown stitching of the bed’s border, and smoothed out the surface to completely erase any sign of Kermit from the photo.
Apple Intelligence’s Clean Up, on the other hand, failed miserably at this simple task, leaving Kermit’s shadow while removing the dog from the bed. This AI editing created a sort of blur effect that would never pass for an edited image, let alone an original one.
Next up, I took my two smartphones to my local coffee shop to test AI photo editing out in the wild. As I went later in the day, there were only two croissants left, one regular and one pain au chocolat.
For this test, I decided to remove the pain au chocolat from a photo as the coffee shop’s branded paper underneath was monochrome and a repeating pattern that I thought would make for an interesting comparison.
Again, Samsung’s AI editing was impressive, to say the least. Not only did the pain au chocolat completely disappear from the image, but Galaxy Ai replicated the branded pattern perfectly, keeping some crumbs for added realism.
The iPhone’s attempt was again, pretty rubbish, creating a sort of crumpled paper effect and leaving the pain au chocolat’s shadow in plain sight. This was again pretty disappointing from Apple Intelligence, there may be a trend appearing here…
I asked the barista behind the bar if he could pour a Flat White so I could try and remove the coffee cup from his hands using Galaxy AI and Apple Intelligence.
I thought it was worth trying just to see how the AI photo editing tools handle pouring liquid, and again the results are night and day.
On the S25, the cup disappeared, Galaxy AI recreated the barista’s thumb, inserted some objects on the surface, and tried to create the impact of the hot milk on the sink below.
While the liquid’s physics is somewhat off, the editing of the hand and the recreation of what Galaxy AI perceived to be behind the cup were seriously impressive.
As for Apple Intelligence… I’ll let the image do all the talking.
Galaxy AI 3-0 Apple Intelligence
The empty shop
Original
Galaxy AI
Apple Intelligence
、
At this point, I had completely accepted the disparity in effectiveness between Samsung and Apple’s offerings, so I decided to push Generative Edit and Clean Up as far as these flagship smartphones would allow me to.
I took a photo of the busy coffee shop, and after erasing one of the people from sight I decided to go even further and just erase everything from the photo, leaving nothing but the seating.
Again, Galaxy AI passed with flying colors, recreating the shops outside the window, and extending the sofa where I had removed my table and coffee cup. Apple Intelligence, well… It mushed everything together and was absolutely useless.
Galaxy AI 4-0 Apple Intelligence
A whitewash
It’s fair to say there’s a clear winner when it comes to AI photo editing between these two devices, and if you follow any smartphone news you’re probably not surprised.
What was surprising to me, was just how amazing Galaxy AI’s photo editing is, and how bad Clean Up on my top-of-the-line iPhone is.
I’ve used Clean Up in the past and found it did a decent, but hardly mind-blowing job when it comes to removing a subject from a photo. After using the S25, I can’t believe Clean Up has even shipped in its current state knowing what alternatives are out there.
I want to emphasize that both companies have taken a different approach to AI photo editing. Apple wants to keep the image as close to the original as possible, while Samsung is happy to showcase its AI power and offer more emphatic editing.
While I think that’s worth keeping in mind, I do still think Apple’s Clean Up approach should be capable of some of the simple edits you’ve seen above. Instead, it’s come incredibly short of the mark when Samsung’s offering is capable of truly achieving what it sets out to do.
Everything from .ae to .zw will now redirect to google.com.
REUTERS / Reuters
Googleannouncedtoday that it will no longer be using country code top level domains for searches. Instead, all search services will happen on the google.com URL and local results will be delivered automatically. For example, that means users in the UK will no longer see google.co.uk in their browser’s address bar. Google URLs with those country-specific domain endings will now redirect to the main google.com address.
Google started using location information to automatically provide search results based on geographyin 2017. With that change, it didn’t matter whether you entered a query into a local country code URL or into google.com; you’d always see the results version for the place you were physically located. Today’s announcement seems to take that initial action to its conclusion by sunsetting those ccTLDs.
“It’s important to note that while this update will change what people see in their browser address bar, it won’t affect the way Search works, nor will it change how we handle obligations under national laws,” Google noted in its announcement.
The company recommends switching update channels as a band-aid solution.
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Microsofthasconfirmed a bugin Outlook Classic, where users are experiencing CPU usage spikes, as high as 50%, when simply typing in the application. Notably, reports of this incident can be traced back to November last year, and even now, users have been asked to switch to the Microsoft 365 Apps update channel as a temporary workaround.
After around six months since the first sighting, Microsoft is finally addressing an issue in Outlook (Classic), which led to increased CPU usage, visible slowdowns, and even freezes whenever you’d sit down to compose an email or type a message. Microsoft quotes a figure ranging from a 30-50% hit to the CPU utilization, and that’s sure to be noticeable, especially on aging hardware.
The developer team was able to reproduce this bug on updating to Microsoft 365 Apps Version 2406 Build 17726.20126+, which was released in June 2024, on the Current, Monthly Enterprise, and Insider Channels. As of writing, a concrete solution is not available, so users have been recommended to move to the Semi-Annual Channel release, where this issue has not been observed.
If you’re running an organization with several devices, Microsoft offers adetailed guidefor migrating your update channel with options like Group Policies, the Office Deployment Tool, Microsoft Configuration Manager, and Intune, just to name a few. For home users, a simpler way to achieve the same result is by just tweaking the registry as follows:
Open a Command Prompt (CMD) window with admin privileges.
Paste the following command and hit Enter: “reg add HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\office\16.0\common\officeupdate /v updatebranch /t REG_SZ /d SemiAnnual”
In Outlook, navigate to File > Office Account > Update Options and select “Update Now” to switch to the Semi Annual Channel.
Affected userswent through several troubleshooting hoops, like turning off graphics acceleration, disabling the spell-check utility, along with add-ins, but to no avail. It got so bad that a user with a beefy i9-14900HX reported CPU temperatures breaching 95 degrees Celsius just by having the ‘New Message’ window open, which is used to compose emails.
As the problem is still under investigation by the Outlook team, this is no more than a stopgap solution. The nature of this bug seems to be tied to how the software handles text fields, but it’s quite puzzling how such an obvious issue slipped past the developers in the first place.
Google Messages is taking a page out of iMessage’s book, using color to denote RCS and SMS/MMS users.
Anyone using RCS chats, both on Android and iOS, will have their contact name colored in Material You pastels.
The Google Messages app will also place a small RCS badge to the right of contact names.
While there are a number of visual cues to designateRCS chatsfrom standard SMS/MMS messaging in the Google Messages conversation list, there aren’t any before you create a new conversation.
In the beta version of theGoogle Messages app, the site discovered small RCS badges beside the contact names of people who have enabled RCS when creating a new conversation. After tapping theStart chatbutton in Google Messages, the list of suggested contacts shows the RCS badge for RCS users and nothing for SMS/MMS users. The feature works for both RCS users on Android and iOS, which is notable.
TheNew conversationtab also changes the color of contact names that are using RCS. The color is changed from black to Material You pastels. These light shades are more clearly visible when using light mode compared to dark mode. This tweak bears a strong resemblance tohow Apple handles messages, using blue to denote iMessage users and green for everyone else.
It’s also neat that if a contact has two numbers, you can individually see whether one or both numbers support RCS. The badges and color codes for RCS could be helpful in certain situations when youcan only send an RCS chat, like if mobile service is unavailable and you’re relying on Wi-Fi.
Since this feature is working in the Google Messages app beta, it could come to the stable release soon. However, it’s unclear when or if this feature will be officially released, as Google hasn’t publicly announced it.
When it comes to HDMI vs DVI cables, which should you get? Our guide reveals all.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Although the term DVI isn’t probably one that you’ve heard for a while, it’s important to know the difference between HDMI and DVI cables when you’re looking at the best system for video editing, gaming or productivity. Many of thebest monitors for video editing, graphic design and photography, for example, still offer multiple connectivity options, including DVI. With several peripherals littering our desks, all of which need to be hooked up somehow, it’s important to know how this should it be done to achieve optimum results. Often, that comes down to a simple question: do you need an HDMI or DVI cable?
To the untrained eye, it can be a minefield of resolutions, data rates and supported features. Thebest laptops for graphic design, for example, often don’t offer DVI connectivity anymore as frankly it’s an outmoded option, but if you have one of thebest monitors for graphic designor creativity, you’re able to plug in a DVI cable with a simple adaptor. We’ll look at the topic in a bit more detail in this article, and assess whether DVI, as an industry standard connectivity option in the 1990s and 2000s, is still an option you need to have in your arsenal.
The answer depends on more than just the ports on yourbest laptop for video editing. But fear not, our no-nonsense guide lays out exactly why you might need each cable, and which is the best option for creatives right now.
Comparing HDMI and DVI plugs shows the large difference in size between them(Image credit: Rankie)
There’s a large difference in size between HDMI and DVI.
Being the older standard, it’s perhaps unsurprising that DVI is the larger of the two. A typical DVI plug is rectangular in shape, with 24 pins three rows deep making up the bulk of its front side. To the right of this matrix is a square consisting of four more pins. The whole arrangement is flanked on either side by screws that fix it in place. The number of pins, combined with the screws, make DVI a relatively large plug and unlike HDMI, DVI cables can be quite easy to damage. If you bend the pins, plugging them in can be quite a challenge – definitely up there with one of the more frustrating elements of outdated computer hardware.
HDMI is much smaller than DVI and throughout the course of the mid 2000s became the standard for audio and video connectivity. The plug is a slim rectangle with a sloped lip below it and in the middle is a thin gap surrounded by 19 pins. Despite having close to the same number of pins as DVI, HDMI plugs are much more compact, and much easier to plug in largely thanks to the pins being protected and the lack of securing screws, which can get annoying if the rear of your system is hidden against the wall or an obstacle.
To put a spanner in the works, it is possible to get Mini and Micro versions of both DVI and HDMI plugs, and these are generally found on olderApplecomputers such as the originalMacBook Airand 2009 Mac mini. Mini-HDMI and Micro-HDMI can be found on a wider variety of devices, including some tablets and phones, but are still uncommon compared to standard HDMI plugs.
Need to connect HDMI and DVI devices together? Adapters are simple and won’t break the bank(Image credit: Rankie)
There’s a simple solution you can purchase if you need to connect HDMI and DVI devices together. Adaptors generally work well and are very affordable to get hold of.
One of the most important questions when it comes to deciding between HDMI and DVI is what each standard works with and whether it’ll work with your devices. Check the ports on your hardware as many pieces of hardware, including some olderNvidiaand AMD graphics cards, have ports for both but your TV or monitor may only support one or the other. If your monitor is an older model, it will have both options, and any screen from the early to mid 2000s may only feature a DVI, so it’s worth checking what hardware you already have and its requirements if you’re on an older setup but would like to upgrade.
HDMI is much more common than DVI and that’s been the case for the best part of the last two decades, so it’s unlikely you own a screen that doesn’t support it. When it comes to laptops, HDMI’s smaller connector is much more likely to make an appearance due to its space-saving design. You’re also likely to find it on larger computers, TVs, monitors, games consoles and a variety of other hardware types. It’s worth saying however that we’re entering a new generation of connectivity now – where HDMI replaced DVI, we’re now seeing DisplayPort and USB-C eating into HDMI’s market share. Luckily, no matter what hardware you have, adaptors are relatively easy to come by.
Quality
HDMI plugs are far more compact than their DVI equivalents, allowing them to be used in smaller devices(Image credit: Rankie)
HDMI plugs are far more compact than their DVI equivalents, allowing them to be used in smaller devices, but both DVI and HDMI have certain limitations on what they can display both in terms of an output device’s resolution and its refresh rate. Given that HDMI is newer than DVI, it’s unsurprising that it works with better specifications in both cases.
The latest version of HDMI (2.1b) can support a maximum data rate of 48 Gbit/sec and video resolutions up to 10K, which is far more than most people will need. In terms of refresh rate, HDMI can support up to 4K at 144 Hz natively, or a mind-boggling 8K at 60 Hz natively or 120Hz if using Display Stream Compression. It also works with HDR video output (although its maximum resolutions and refresh rates take a slight hit given the increased bandwidth used by HDR video).
DVI only has a maximum data rate of 9.9 Gbit/sec, so taking that into account, the maximum resolution and refresh rate it can support is 3840×2400 at 30 Hz, or 2560×1600 at 60 Hz. It’s likely that if you own an DVI compatible monitor, you’re running on HD at 1920×1080 or less due to the available technology at the time, and with DVI, you’re also likely suffer from a difference in colour rendition as DVI only supports 8-bit RGB colours, whereas you’ll get 12-bit performance in HDMI, so more colours can be rendered natively.
As well as its visual advantages, HDMI can also transfer audio signals, something DVI is unable to do. That means streaming a video from one device to another only requires one cable with HDMI; with DVI, you also need to account for audio cables and associated sockets.
Price
Regardless of whether you need an HDMI or DVI cable, neither is likely to set you back very much. For example, you can pick up anHDMI cableon Amazon for around $5/£5, orDVI cablefor around $7/£7. There are also plenty of adaptors on offer for around the same amount of money that can convert your video signal from DVI to HDMI and vice-versa, meaning outdated monitors can still be used no matter your setup.
It’s worth noting that you may sometimes see expensive versions of each cable doing the rounds, with fancy-sounding features and eye-watering price tags. Even the cheapest HDMI or DVI cable will get your signal to its destination just as fast as the most expensive one, without leaving a galling dent in your finances.
Which should you buy?
Of course this will very much depend on the system and the screens you are using in your setup, but one simple fact can’t be escaped: DVI is an entirely outmoded connectivity option these days and you’ll achieve better results overall from upgrading your setup to factor in more options like HDMI and USB-C.
If you’re looking at motherboards and must choose between one that supports HDMI and one that supports DVI, we’d advise HDMI every time. HDMI is a more modern standard and supports much higher resolutions and refresh rates, and will also work with a wider variety of peripheral devices. To future-proof your setup, we’d recommend a motherboard that hosts the option for USB-C as well as HDMI.
If you have a DVI device that you need to hook up to another device, you can always use anHDMI to DVI cableoran adapter; neither is likely to cost you much more than a fiver. Given that HDMI cables are more modern, more common and often cheaper than their DVI equivalents, there’s no real reason to stick to DVI unless your equipment dictates, but even then we’d recommend looking at some of our guides to help you upgrade to a more modern system.
The PS5 Digital Edition has seen price rises in some regions
The price has gone up in the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand
The disc drive, however, has seen an overall reduction in price
As of today, thePlayStation 5Digital Edition has been hit with another wave of price increases in some regions. But there is some good news for PS5 Pro owners looking to pick up the disc drive.
Announced via an officialPlayStation Blog post,Sonyhas confirmed that the PS5’s price will be increased in the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. The company cited “a challenging economic environment, including high inflation and fluctuating exchange rates” as key reasons for the “tough decision.”
In the UK and Europe, there have been no price changes for the standard PS5. Otherwise, you can see the current changes here:
Europe
PS5 Digital Edition – €499.99
PS5 – No change
UK
PS5 Digital Edition – £429.99
PS5 – No change
Australia
PS5 Digital Edition – AU$749.95
PS5 – AU$829.95
New Zealand
PS5 Digital Edition – NZD $859.95
PS5 – NZD $949.95
In slightly better news, especially for PS5 Pro owners looking to add a physical disc option to their setup, the price of the disc drive has been reduced. The new disc drive prices are as follows:
Europe
€79.99
UK
£69.99
Australia
AU$124.95
New Zealand
NZD $139.95
The new prices in these regions have been reflected on PlayStation Direct, Sony’s official storefront for PlayStation products including the PS5. However, you may still have luck at other retailers if you’re currently in the market for the console.
For example, in the UK, Argos currently has the PS5 Digital Edition bundled withAstro Botat a very wallet-friendly£339.99right now. Currys is also yet to reflect the price increase, and the PS5 Digital Edition is still available here for£389. If you’ve been planning on picking up a PS5 soon, then, it may be a good idea to pounce now before the price increases are reflected across the board.
This is good news for the tech sector as tariff impacts continue.
Amidst the flurry of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration over the last few weeks, we finally have some exemptions that should significantly impact the tech sector. While the initial reciprocal tariffs will remain for imports, U.S. Customs and Border Protection shared some new exemptions on tech-related goods.
The update was announced yesterday evening and follows various tariff increases, particularly on Chinese imports. The exemptions include many products we’re excited to see get some relief. The complete list is available in theofficial bulletin,but it includes computers, smartphones, semiconductor chips, and other tech goods like flat panel TVs, solar cells, and flash drives.
The most recent tariff increase from Trump was 145% on Chinese goods. This sent waves across the tech industry, as many realized the significant impact it would have on many tech products that we rely on, including laptops, desktops, CPUs, semiconductor chips, and any PC component. Large companies like Apple, HP, Dell, and more preemptively imported extra stock before the tariff announcement to skirt some of the impact.
These exemptions should benefit industry leaders and consumers alike, who have been anticipating serious price hikes on imported products. This should offset the price increases for customers and manufacturers who rely on imports for construction materials.
The United States imports around66% ofits tech goodsfrom China, which caused significant concern when tariffs were first announced and subsequently raised on Chinese imports. We recently reported expectations that consoles, monitors, and laptops would be among the most impacted.
Many tariffs initially imposed on April 5th will be reduced for 90 days, but tariffs on China havecontinued to increase. This exemption list is the first we’ve seen concerning the tariff situation with China. That said, tariffs will remain in place for all other imports not included in the exemption list.
The situation is subject to change, but we’ll report any significant updates on the tariff situation as things progress, so be sure to check back regularly for more information.
(Image credit: 9to5Google)
