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OnePlus has just issued more details about the OnePlus 13 screen as part of an event in China with display supplier BOE. The two companies made a number of claims about the phone screen, but one cool feature caught our eye and we hope rival brands adopt it.

OnePlus confirmed that the OnePlus 13’s screen supports a local high refresh rate feature. That is, different areas of the same screen can run at different refresh rates.

That’s a major upgrade over current smartphone screens. Other phone displays can run at a variety of refresh rates, but the refresh rate applies to the entire screen. So why would you want varying refresh rates for different parts of the screen?

Why is this OnePlus 13 feature a big deal?

Being able to run only the necessary areas of the screen at a higher refresh rate would help eke out more juice as a high refresh rate consumes more power. This could be handy if you’re watching a YouTube video, with the UI/comments running at a low refresh rate while the video itself runs at a higher refresh rate. This could also be useful if you’re reading an article in a browser, with the webpage offering a higher refresh rate for smoother scrolling while the browser toolbar runs at a lower refresh rate.

A local high refresh rate feature could be particularly useful for running apps in a split-screen view. So if you’re reading a Kindle book in one window and browsing the web in the other window, the Kindle window could run at a much lower refresh rate (e.g. 1Hz, 10Hz) while the browser window runs at 60 or 120Hz. Right now, apps running in split-screen have to run at the same refresh rate, potentially consuming extra power.

This isn’t the only new screen feature coming to the OnePlus 13, as the company also claimed this screen is a so-called “sun display.” The Chinese brand said the OnePlus 13 display delivers more accurate colors and better visibility under the sun compared to rival devices.

Nevertheless, the phone’s local refresh rate feature could be a sign of things to come in 2025 if it delivers plenty of power savings. This would be especially handy on Fold-style foldables owing to the emphasis on split-screen multitasking. In fact, Samsung first patented this tech back in 2022, so don’t be surprised if a future Galaxy phone offers it.

Just as it was announced that HONOR phones would get Circle to Search, the feature has received somewhat of a downgrade. Circle to Search has now lost one of its shortcuts.

Previously, when you activated Circle to Search, there would be a field at the bottom of the screen that you could tap to type perform a text query. On the right side of the field was the “G” logo that opens up the Google app. To the right of the G logo was a microphone icon for voice search and an icon for Google Lens. Finally, there was a button with a music note for song search and a second button for translations.

First spotted by 9to5Google, the UI for Circle to Search has now changed to no longer show the Google Lens icon. You can see the old behavior in the image on the left and the new behavior in the image on the right.

With this update, users have lost their two-step access to Google Lens regardless of where they are on their phone. It’s unclear why the company dropped the shortcut from the feature, but it could have something to do with trying to clean up the UI so it appears less cluttered.

This change has now been rolled out widely, so you should see the new look the next time you trigger it. Hopefully, this is just a bug or a test and the shortcut will come back in the future.

While Circle to Search may have lost one of its shortcuts, it could be gaining a rather useful ability. In our APK teardown from last week, we discovered the feature could start working on any video, including ones not on YouTube.

Peek inside the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE, and you’ll spot an Exynos 2400e processor. While hardly remarkable for global audiences, Exynos on US soil is somewhat of a rarity — you’ll have to go back to the Galaxy Note 5 and S6 era for the chip’s previous appearances.

The US is home turf for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon, and while it might be considered the premium option for Android smartphones, could the S24 FE open the door to a bigger return to Exynos in the US? Only Samsung knows for sure, but such a move has a few important things going for it.

We’ve long benchmarked Samsung’s chips against Qualcomm’s, and although the latter have consistently come out on top in recent years, we know that classic performance metrics don’t matter quite as much as they once did. Google’s Pixel series, with its custom Tensor processor, is a prime example of this. The Tensor G4 inside the Pixel 9 series benchmarks some way behind the best in the business, but that hardly matters when it’s still fast enough to run your most important apps and brings unique features in the form of bespoke software.

Still, we benchmarked the Exynos 2400e and found it to be hot on the heels of the regular Exynos 2400, which is a fine chip in the Galaxy S24 series and puts up a solid fight against the best from Apple and Qualcomm. In fact, it outperforms Google’s Tensor in CPU and GPU benchmarks, so it is certainly no slouch. The issue is more one of perception than actual performance, owing to years of Exynos playing second fiddle to Snapdragon.

Of course, what makes Tensor stand out is Google’s AI accelerator hardware, which powers its unique AI software features. Samsung has AI hardware, too, but we’re yet to see the company really lean hard into any particular direction with Exynos. That could change; it’s leveraging AMD silicon for graphics and has rejigged its entire silicon development department not long ago. Next year’s chipset might tell more about whether Samsung has (finally) lined its ducks up to build some more competitive and/or interesting mobile processors.

There’s potential for Exynos to do something more interesting to make Galaxy stand out. But that’s enough wishful thinking; Exynos already has some practical benefits for smartphones — namely price.

If we know anything about 2025 flagship smartphones, it’s that they’re likely to cost even more. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 and other high-end chipsets are reported to be costlier than this year, owing to a combination of a new CPU architecture and cutting-edge 3nm manufacturing process. The parts could cost 20-30% more. Xiaomi has already polled its fans to see if they are prepared to pay for premium performance or will accept a “lesser” chip to keep prices where they are.

While higher prices might be a pill we can swallow in the ultra-premium market, it spells bad news for base flagships like the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy Z Flip 7. Apple has already raised the price of its iPhone 16 by $30 more than last year, and no one really wants to pay any more than that — certainly nothing approaching $999 for an entry-level flagship.

Xiaomi isn’t alone in weighing up this sort of decision for 2025 mobile devices, but those with custom silicon at their disposal have an out. Just like the Galaxy S24 FE, the more liberal use of Exynos chipsets makes a lot of sense for flagship models that Samsung wants to keep as affordable as possible. Samsung is already partly down this road; global consumers receive Exynos in the S24 and S24 Plus, except in the US and a few other markets. However, if you buy the Galaxy S24 Ultra, it’s Snapdragon for everyone. I don’t think too many in the US would mind if the S25 and S25 Plus used Exynos if that meant keeping prices roughly where they are now. Global consumers seem happy enough.

Unfortunately, industry insiders don’t seem to be able to make their minds up about which chipsets will power what Samsung phones next year. Some say it is Snapdragon for all the S25 models, while others point to at least some models using Exynos. When it comes to foldables, Korean sources suggest Samsung is at least thinking about using the Exynos 2500 in the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and/or Galaxy Z Fold 7, which have always used Snapdragon so far. But we’ve heard rumors like this before, and they haven’t panned out.

Still, if using Exynos can help Samsung sell the Galaxy S24 FE for just $650, the S25 and future foldable models could stand to benefit from a more competitive price point, providing Samsung’s next-gen chip is competitive enough.

Say what you want about the iOS vs Android debate, but the iPhone boasts a formidable software platform. Meshing seamlessly with other Apple properties and products, iPhones offer features and tools that Android smartphone owners could only dream of. Notably, this includes a host of iOS-exclusive apps.

Sure, some iOS apps will eventually reach Android; Arc Search browser is a great recent example. However, many never make the journey, leaving Android users out in the cold.

Fueled by jealousy, I combed through the catalogs of the App Store to find some of the best iOS-exclusive apps I’d love to see on Android one day. It may be pie in the sky, but it’s fun to dream. Have a look at the apps below.

I’m a little obsessed with flight tracking. When I’m on the ground, I use FlightRadar24 to view birds overhead. However, Android does lack a good flight detail organizer and updater. iPhone users don’t have this problem.

Flighty is an iOS-exclusive app that offers preflight, preboarding, and post-landing information you’ll need. This includes departure details and any changes, check-in alerts, and weather info. It also provides alternative flights, a live share feature for loved ones, and a fun gamification feature that tallies up your virtual flight miles. One of the features I like the most is how it handles delays. The app offers predictions and explains why your flight isn’t landing on time. It’s these tiny details that help reduce my sky-high anxiety at airports.

I don’t see a reason why Flighty isn’t available on Android. Few apps like it exist, so it would be a hugely popular addition to the Play Store. There is no indication that it’ll introduce an Android version.

Procreate

Procreate is why many artists choose the iPad instead of Android tablets. At its core, it’s a bitmap graphics editor that allows artists to create sketches and digital paintings and practice their illustration styles. Procreate fully supports the Apple Pencil, using the stylus’ various pressure levels and precision tuning.

It’s available for the iPad and iPhone (as Procreate Pocket), making it genuinely multi-platform. I also appreciate its one-time fee purchase demand. A relatively small $12.99 investment unlocks current and future features on the iPad, and a $5.99 fee unlocks the iPhone version.

More importantly, the company offers no AI smarts within the app for those who value human-made art. Everything created within it is by hand. I like this approach to software, especially in 2024.

There is no indication that Procreate will make the leap to Android, presumably due to the hugely varied stylus offerings from OEMs. The most likely partner would be Samsung and its S Pen-supported Galaxy Tab range. Nevertheless, there is no shortage of drawing apps for Android, but none come close to Procreate’s toolbox.

As its name suggests, Drafts is an app designed for jotting down quick snippets of text and notes. I wouldn’t call it a pure note-taking app, but it does include markup, mild organization options through folders, and tagging functionality. You could use it as a knowledge base app as it also supports deep links. It’s also available cross-device within the Apple ecosystem, making it truly useful for sharing text across Mac, iPad, and iPhone.

Drafts’ focus on writing first and organizing later has me won over. Its clean design also minimizes distractions, a facet of my personality that prevents me from using Notion for productivity.

Drafts is free to use, but the Pro subscription unlocks even more features, including automation, a mail forwarding feature, and custom syntax.

Fantastical

There are a slew of calendaring apps on Android, but there’s one feature that none of them offer: natural language support. It’s much easier to create events and tasks by typing out the details of an event than manually creating an event through a form. Fantastical offers this and plenty more.

This iOS-exclusive app has one of the best calendar timeline layouts, called DayTicker, which seamlessly meshes weather details, to-dos, and calendar events under a single scroll. It also has a plethora of widgets for whatever you deem most important. Currently, the calendar management on my Android phone consists entirely of widgets, so I appreciate this in particular.

Fantastical’s business model is one dark mark against it. The free version has been stripped of functionality in favor of the premium models, leaving many users understandably aggrieved. Considering that the Android market is far more saturated, I don’t expect to see Fantastical make the jump to the Google side. However, I’d love to see some of its features adopted by current apps.

If you don’t like Drafts’ simplicity and wish it had more of a focus on structure, Bear Notes is the app for you. This app really gives Notion a run for its money. It features markdown support, image injection, and support for the Apple Pencil, so you can add cute little drawings to your personal journal. The latter two features really set it apart.

Bear Notes can be used for a multitude of tasks, but it thrives as a digital commonplace book, a digital recipe book, or a companion notepad for novels and non-fiction books you’re currently reading.

One letdown is that it’s not available as a web app, something that Android and Windows device owners would undoubtedly appreciate. However, it is cross-device within the Apple ecosystem.

Things 3

True to its name, Things is a powerful thing-management app, be those things notes, to-dos, longer goals, or plans. It includes numerous organization features, allowing users to place to-dos within various projects, specific plans, and life spheres. Users can categorize items further using tags, integrate their calendars, and set repeating to-dos.

I appreciate Things’ simple, minimalist design but its deeper functionality once you get to know the app and its limits. It also offers a single fee for cross-functionality between iPhones and the Apple Watch. There are plenty of to-do apps on Android, but they’re either too granular or too simple — Things strikes a balance.

The iPhone and iPad have a slew of exclusive camera apps, and Halide is one of them. It’s geared towards more serious pocket photographers who crave more control of their device’s hardware. Some of its big-ticket features include the ability to select the image processing level, a macro mode that leverages AI upscaling tech, a RAW shortcut for snapping images directly from the sensor, and a new lock screen shortcut for those who don’t want to miss a fleeting moment. Halide doesn’t focus on video, but that’s where its companion app, Kino, steps in.

As Halide is specifically made with Apple’s products in mind, it likely won’t ever reach Android camera phones. The latter has far too many variables, including camera hardware and software.

Reeder bills itself as a content aggregator for articles, videos, and podcasts that may interest you. The idea is pretty great. Instead of bouncing from app to app, Reeder lists all the content in a consumable timeline. More intriguingly, your last position on the timeline is also synced across devices, making it easy to pick up where you left off. Notably, Reeder Classic is available for those who want a pure RSS reader, but we have plenty of those on Android.

It’s worth noting that Feedly and Inoreader also support video and podcast feeds, but they’re nowhere near as seamless. These two platforms could also do with some competition.

The iPhone’s Shortcuts app scales up iOS’ utility a notch. It offers precisely what it says on the tin: a list of shortcuts and automationa that trigger in context or when prompted. For example, you can create a shortcut to trigger a message to a loved one when you arrive at work or leave. No user interaction would be required, making such a shortcut even more useful for those who are always a little too busy. These shortcuts can also be actioned by prompting Siri, giving users another form of control over their devices, while the app dovetails perfectly with the Action button on iPhones.

There is no native Android Shortcuts equivalent, but there are several third-party alternatives, some of which have far too steep a learning curve for my liking. As it’s designed by Apple for Apple products, Shortcuts will never see the light of day on the Play Store. However, I wouldn’t be upset if Google integrated similar functionality in Android.

Garageband

If Procreate is the iOS-exclusive platform for graphic artists, Garageband is for musicians. Exclusive to Apple platforms and developed by the Cupertino company, Garageband is effectively a pocket recording studio. It allows budding musicians to create music and podcasts without fuss, and offers support for multiple tracks, the creation of audio loops, and a host of effects. The biggest trump card is its range of synthesizers of real instruments and a host of drum types. And. if you have a physical keyboard or guitar, you can hook it up to a supported amp.

Considering that Garageband is created by Apple for Apple products, it likely won’t ever be ported to Android. That’s a shame. Few digital audio workstation apps are available for Android that are as widely used.

Step bills itself as a travel curator app. It essentially strips a mapping app down to its core parts: trendy spots, tourist attractions, and places of interest. Users can create their own guides and share them with others on the platform.

This social element also fuels the nifty city guides feature, which offers a curated list of places to visit within specific cities. You could call it a travel app for influencers. Whether that’s a pro or a con, you decide. Nevertheless, I appreciate Step’s unique take on travel. The app is free but requires a phone number upon account creation.

Paste is a pretty nifty app. It’s an endless clipboard app that keeps tabs on anything you copied on your iPhone and makes it available across other Apple products without any intervention. Notably, the data is stored locally and in a user’s iCloud account, making it far more secure than it sounds. It also integrates with Siri and iOS Keyboard, making it a powerful tool.

If you regularly juggle text between multiple devices, use a standard set of text strings or messages, or want a nifty way to manage read-later links, Paste is a great solution.

Like any well-adjusted technology enthusiast, you’re probably a big fan of USB-C: reversible, elegant, ubiquitous. Its adoption has been so lauded that’s its little wonder we can’t help but turn our faces in disgust whenever we’re forced to deal with legacy micro-USB (and do not even get us started on mini). But for as much as we like about it, USB-C is a lot more than just a super-handy physical connector, and depending on the devices we’re using with it, there can be a lot of (sometimes confusing) differences about the features it supports.

That’s true not just across manufacturers, but even within the same hardware families — just look at data speeds on Apple’s iPhone 15 and 16 series, where the lower-model phones are stuck with 480Mbps over USB 2.0, while the Pro editions get USB 3.1 Gen 2×1 and blistering 10Gbps performance. That’s an order of magnitude improvement, but you wouldn’t have any real sense of the potential there by just looking at their USB-C ports alone. And this isn’t even touching on differing levels of charging support.

Granted, Apple is a relatively new player in terms of USB-C on phones, but with such a modest lineup of devices, and a reputation for delivering user experiences that “just work,” would we be wrong for expecting more? Is it even fair to compare one manufacturer against the behavior of Android as a platform? It’s definitely a more complicated question than that simple-looking little connector might intimate, so we thought we might as well put it to you:

Has the iPhone done a better job with USB-C than Android?

USB-C support on Android may vary wildly across manufacturers, but either you’re holding Apple to a higher standard, or you think everyone’s doing a pretty similar job, because hardly any of you think Apple’s putting on the best show here.

In the comments, we do see some support for that “higher standard” idea, pointing to Apple’s ridiculously vast resources, for example. But also, there are a lot of voices that seem dismissive of this whole discussion, seemingly uninterested in measuring just how fast their phones charge or how quickly they can transfer files — that they do it at all is good enough. Based on the numbers we see in the actual poll, though, that just seems to be a particularly loud minority.

We guess that leaves the ball in your court, Apple: Go ahead and impress us with your USB-C implementation on next year’s iPhone 17 family.

Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) has got to be one of the most respected and beloved voices in mobile tech — so it was a bit of a rude awakening a couple weeks back when the internet collectively turned on him in the wake of the release of his subscription-based wallpaper app, Panels, for iOS and Android. Rather than pushing back against that tide, Brownlee was quick to publicly embrace the criticism, and promised to do better. In a new video out today, the creator outlines what’s changing for Panels going forward.

Slapping a new wallpaper on your phone can be a quick, fun way to make it feel fresh, so we understand the desire to always have access to hot new designs — that’s exactly why we come through every week with our own Wallpaper Wednesday, hooking you up with some great options to try. While you get those at Android Authority for free, Brownlee decided to charge $12/month or $50/year for full access to Panel’s wallpapers.

That pricing probably would have been contentious enough, but concerns over the broad, privacy-impacting permissions the app requested really helped solidify the pushback against Panels.

In his latest video, Brownlee takes a step back and starts by trying to explain why he even began this project in the first place. One of the first missteps he acknowledges is that Panels should have always been a free app, first and foremost. Going forward, you’ll be able to browse 1080p wallpapers for free without all the annoying ads from before — higher-res options can also be unlocked by choosing to watch an ad.

Rather not even see that kind of ad? Panels Plus subscriptions will now be available in two tiers, and for just $2/month you can get all those full-res wallpapers without the ads. In addition to those one-off wallpapers, the app will feature collections of wallpapers from individual artists, available for purchase à la carte for a few bucks. But if you’d rather just unlock all collections at once, the higher-tier Panels Plus unlimited subscription is what you’ll want, and this one matches the old $12/month pricing, or $50 annually.

As for permissions and privacy, Brownlee admits that his team erred on the side of telling app stores that Panels would potentially be interested in a lot more access than the app actually uses at the moment, and it really didn’t need to shoot this broadly. That’s reportedly now being fixed.

Brownlee also goes over a lot of criticism he’s heard about the app itself, just as a piece of software, and changes are already being made — like to the way it now flags content generated or manipulated with the help of AI. If you’re a fan of Marques, you’ll want to give the whole thing a watch, because it seems clear he really cares here and is listening to your thoughts about how to make Panels better.

What do you think about this whole controversy? Has MKBHD finally sorted everything out, or are you still harboring bad feelings? Let us know in the comments.

Cybersecurity is not something to take lightly, and a new report about a smart home product perfectly highlights that point. Over the course of several days, multiple robot vacuums were hacked in cities across the US.

ABC News in Australia reports that hackers were able to take full control over robot vacs in multiple cities around the country. The hack allowed the attackers to yell racial slurs at owners, remotely control the device to chase after pets, and see through the vacuum’s camera. All of the affected robot vacuums were of the same make and model, the Chinese-made ECOVACS Deebot X2.

One report comes from a Minnesota lawyer named Daniel Swenson. In Swenson’s case, he was watching TV when he noticed his vacuum making weird noises, like a “broken-up radio signal or something.” Swenson told the outlet that he reset his password and rebooted the robot after seeing a stranger was accessing the live camera feed and remote control feature. After sitting down on the couch with his wife and 13-year-old son, the robot immediately started moving again and Swenson’s family could hear racist obscenities being spewed as clear as day.

“I got the impression it was a kid, maybe a teenager,” Swenson said. “Maybe they were just jumping from device to device messing with families.” The lawyer has since turned off the device and taken it to his garage where it remains powered down. Despite the creepiness of it all, Swenson says it could’ve been worse, the hacker could have quietly observed his family with no one the wiser. Swenson says he kept the robot on the same floor as the family’s master bathroom, adding that, “Our youngest kids take showers in there.”

The incident in Minnesota happened on May 24, the same day a Deebot X2 was hacked in Los Angeles and used to chase the owner’s dog. Another incident was reported in El Paso where, like in Minnesota, racial slurs were being hurled at the owner until it was unplugged.

It’s unclear how many Deebot X2s were hacked, but ECOVACS was reportedly warned by security researchers six months prior about serious security vulnerabilities in its robots and its app. The most severe flaw was the Bluetooth connector, which could give someone complete access from over 300 feet away — unlikely the cause of these incidents. In December 2023, security researchers Dennis Giese and Braelynn Luedtke also found an issue with the PIN code system protecting the camera feed. The PIN code was only checked by the app and not by a server or the robot, which means the check could be bypassed if you have the technical know-how.

ECOVACS was warned of this issue before the pair went public with the exploit. A spokesperson claims the vulnerability has been fixed, but Giese told ABC that the solution was insufficient.

According to the publication, ECOVACS plans on releasing a patch for the Deebot X2 in November. It’s also said the company has sent an email to customers prompting them to change their passwords.

We’re back with a new list for the week — and we’ve got a mystery starring Cate Blanchett this time! There’s also a much-awaited new season for a beloved show and a dating reality show set in the unlikeliest of places. 

The best new streaming shows this week

Feel free to click on any links that pique your interest.

• Release date: October 10, 2024 
• Genre: Reality, Romance
• Rating: TV-MA 
• Director: Chris Coelen
• Cast: Elham Ali, Khaled Saqer

This new spin-off of the popular Love Is Blind franchise brings the social experiment to the Arab world for the first time. A group of singles from various Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, and Iraq, enter the pods in Dubai hoping to find true love. As in previous versions, the participants go on a series of “blind” dates, communicating only through audio without being able to see each other. Those who form strong connections can get engaged before even seeing their partner face-to-face.

After the engagements, the newly formed couples finally meet in person and are whisked away on a romantic retreat to test their physical chemistry. Then, they return to Dubai to live together and merge their lives in the real world, meeting each other’s family and friends. Throughout the process, the couples must decide if their emotional connection is strong enough to overcome physical or lifestyle incompatibilities.

• Release date: October 10, 2024 
• Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
• Rating: TV-MA
• Director: Josh Pate, Jonas Pate, Shannon Burke
• Cast: Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss, Rudy Pankow, Drew Starkey, Charles Esten

The Pogue’s plans for a quiet life are quickly derailed when a mysterious new threat emerges. A dangerous rival group learns of another legendary treasure with ties to John B’s family history. Soon the friends are pulled into a new hunt that takes them to uncharted territories and puts them in the crosshairs of powerful enemies. As they follow the clues, they uncover shocking secrets about the island’s past and John B’s parents.

Action-packed sequences unfold as the Pogues face treacherous terrains, deadly traps, and ruthless adversaries in their quest. Old foes like Rafe and Topper resurface, complicating matters further. The stakes are higher than ever as the friends must rely on their bond to survive escalating dangers. Expect stunning coastal scenery, heart-pounding chases, narrow escapes, and emotional twists that will keep you on the edge of your seats.

• Release date: October 11, 2024 
• Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
• Rating: TV-MA 
• Director: Alfonso Cuarón
• Cast: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Sacha Baron Cohen, Lesley Manville, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Louis Partridge, Leila George

This psychological thriller series, based on the novel by Renée Knight, stars Cate Blanchett as Catherine Ravenscroft, a successful television documentary filmmaker. Catherine’s carefully curated life is thrown into chaos when a mysterious novel called “The Perfect Stranger” appears on her bedside table. As she begins reading, she’s horrified to realize the book contains a thinly veiled account of a secret from her past that she’s kept buried for decades.

The series accurately describes the stories we tell ourselves to justify our actions. It keeps you guessing about the exact nature of Catherine’s truth and whether revenge is justified. Shocking twists and reveals build to a climax where long-buried truths finally come to light, forcing Catherine to face the consequences of her past.

• Release date: October 10, 2024 
• Genre: Comedy, Drama
• Rating: TV-MA
• Director: Kirstie Swain
• Cast: Ella Purnell, Nicôle Lecky, Jonathan Pointing, Calam Lynch, Leah Harvey, Jeremy Swift, Dustin Demri-Burns

By day, Rhiannon works as a junior copywriter at the local newspaper and maintains a facade of normalcy. But she harbors a deadly secret — she’s a serial killer with an insatiable appetite for murder. The series delves into Rhiannon’s troubled past, revealing the traumas that shaped her into the complex antihero she’s become.

We see her navigating everyday life. But all the while, she’s meticulously planning her next kill. As the body count rises, Rhiannon must stay one step ahead of suspicion. To make matters worse, her carefully compartmentalized worlds begin to collide when a figure from her past resurfaces, threatening to expose her true nature.

• Release date: October 10, 2024 
• Genre: Action, Drama, Science Fiction
• Rating: TV-MA 
• Director: Alessandro Fabbri
• Cast: Matilda De Angelis, Lorenzo Cervasio, Maurizio Lombardi, Julia Piaton, Thekla Reuten, Giordana Faggiano, Daniele Paoloni

Diana is ostensibly a loyal Manticore operative, but in reality, she’s a double agent working to uncover the truth behind Citadel’s fall and her parents’ mysterious deaths years earlier. As the series opens, Diana is tasked with tracking secret meetings between French and German Manticore factions, hinting at power struggles within the organization.

The series is packed with sleek, futuristic tech and elaborate action sequences. Diana utilizes an array of high-tech gadgets and weapons as she engages in heart-pounding chases through Milan’s streets and treacherous infiltration missions. Her skills are put to the test as she faces off against other highly trained operatives and grapples with Manticore’s advanced surveillance capabilities.

What was new and worth watching over the last month

Missed our other lists? Here’s a quick recap. Also, check out our list of streaming movies if you’re in the mood for something longer this weekend.

• Release date: October 1, 2024
• Genre: Reality
• Rating: TV-MA
• Director: Erin Ebbing
• Cast: Anzu Lawson, Eric Ebbing, Damla Yaraman

This new reality series follows the glamorous lives and professional dramas of luxury real estate agents in sun-soaked Marbella, Spain. At high-end brokerage Homerun Brokers, ambitious agents compete to sell multi-million euro properties to wealthy international clients.

Founder Eric Ebbing struggles to keep his unruly team in line as they balance beach club partying with closing big deals. Rising star Robert Bazo eyes a promotion to the C-suite, but faces opposition from rival Miah van der Bilt. Meanwhile, Eric’s wife Jennifer cracks the whip on the marketing team. With stunning villas, yacht parties, and plenty of backstabbing, it’s Selling Sunset meets the Costa del Sol.

• Release date: October 2, 2024
• Genre: Documentary
• Rating: N.A.
• Director: David Gelb
• Cast: Evan Funke, Guirong Wei, Peppe Guida, Nite Yun, Jeff Gordinier

The latest season of this acclaimed documentary series spotlights four master noodle makers from around the world. Episodes profile chefs who have dedicated their lives to perfecting pasta, ramen, and other noodle dishes. Featured chefs include Evan Funke, a Los Angeles-based pasta expert who learned his craft in Bologna, Italy.

You get an intimate look at the painstaking techniques, cultural traditions, and personal stories behind these chef’s noodle-making artistry. With the show’s signature stunning cinematography, this season promises to be a feast for the senses.

• Release date: October 3, 2024
• Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
• Rating: PG-13
• Director: Tze Chun
• Cast: Izaac Wang, Ming-Na Wen, BD Wong, A.J. LoCascio, Gabrielle Nevaeh Green, Eric Bauza, Grey DeLisle

The mischievous Mogwai are back for more mayhem in this animated series. In Season 2, Gizmo and his pals head to San Francisco on a mission to capture evil Mogwai. But the City by the Bay holds new dangers and adventures, from escape attempts to run-ins with local Chinatown gangs.

As always, keeping the cute but troublesome creatures away from water and midnight snacks proves challenging. With a blend of humor and mild scares, this series continues the legacy of the beloved Gremlins films for a new generation.

• Release date: October 2, 2024
• Genre: Comedy, Drama
• Rating: N.A.
• Director: Zoltan Spirandelli, Oliver Lansley
• Cast: Heike Makatsch, Axel Stein, Lea Drinda, Nikeata Thompson, Leo Simon, Palina Rojinski, Kostja Ullmann

This German-language series puts a darkly comic spin on the missing person drama. When 17-year-old Wanda vanishes without a trace, her parents Dedo and Carlotta Klatt take increasingly desperate and illegal measures to find her. As the 100-day mark approaches — after which chances of finding her alive plummet — the Klatts resort to secretly bugging their neighbor’s homes.

Their amateur sleuthing efforts lead to mishaps and unexpected revelations about their small town. Blending crime thriller suspense with outrageous humor, the show keeps viewers guessing about Wanda’s true fate.

• Release date: October 4, 2024
• Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure
• Rating: TV-G
• Director: Jim Cooper, Jeff Dixon
• Cast: Andre Robinson, Gabrielle Nevaeh Green, Lyric Lewis, Reid Scott, Rhys Darby, James Marsters, Rhea Perlman

This animated series for kids continues the adventures of siblings Pandora and Russ as they work to break an ancient family curse. With help from their mother Sky and magical companions like Stanley the wooden idol, they search for mystical artifacts that may hold the key to freeing their petrified father.

Each episode sees the Vanderhoven family tackling a new supernatural challenge tied to myths and legends from around the world. Blending action, comedy, and mild scares, the show aims to introduce younger viewers to the world of fantasy-adventure storytelling.

• Release date: September 24, 2024 
• Genre: Drama
• Rating: N.A. 
• Director: Mel Eslyn, Mark Duplass
• Cast: Megan Stott, Krisha Fairchild, Amber Wolfe Wollam, Cynthia Geary, Austin Abrams, Barry O’Neil, Eddie Lee Wollrabe

16-year-old Penelope abandons her modern life for a solitary journey into Washington state. Feeling disconnected from the world around her, Penelope steals camping equipment and sneaks into a national park, determined to live off the land and find herself in nature.

As she struggles to adapt to life in the forest, Penelope faces physical and emotional challenges that test her resolve. She learns survival skills, builds a makeshift shelter, and forms an unlikely bond with the local wildlife. Along the way, she encounters an eccentric guitarist, a group of religious teens on a retreat, and an elderly conservationist dedicated to protecting the ancient trees.

• Release date: September 26, 2024 
• Genre: Drama
• Rating: TV-MA
• Director: Francesco Bruni
• Cast: Federico Cesari, Andrea Pennacchi, Bianca Nappi, Ricky Memphis, Filippo Nigro, Fotinì Peluso, Lorenzo Renzi

Two years after his transformative experience in a psychiatric ward, Daniele Cenni finds himself facing a new chapter filled with unexpected challenges and profound personal growth. Now a father to young Maria, Daniele must navigate the complexities of co-parenting amidst a turbulent custody battle with his ex-partner, Nina.

Driven by a desire to give back to the community that once supported him, Daniele makes a bold career change. He returns to the psychiatric hospital where he was once a patient, this time as a nurse. The fine line between caregiver and patient blurs, challenging Daniele’s resolve and forcing him to question whether he can truly save others while still fighting for his own salvation.

• Release date: September 24, 2024 
• Genre: Documentary
• Rating: N.A.
• Director: Ben Klein
• Cast: Steve Iavarone, Pamela Perry, W. Scott Poole

This new true crime docuseries examines real-life criminal cases with bizarre paranormal elements. The series premiere focuses on a 2020 explosion in downtown Nashville, tied to a man deeply invested in the “lizard people” conspiracy theory. There are other cases too, explored in the subsequent episodes.

Through interviews with experts, witnesses, and law enforcement, the show examines the evidence behind these cases and the impact of paranormal beliefs on criminal investigations. While maintaining a skeptical approach, Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal invites viewers to consider the unexplained and question the boundaries between fact and fiction in the criminal justice system.

• Release date: September 26, 2024 
• Genre: Reality
• Rating: N.A.
• Director: Harbinder Singh
• Cast: Joel McHale, Curtis Stone, Yolanda Gampp, T Lawrence-Simon, Fadi Odeh, Amber Croom, Yassmeen Haskins

The hit culinary detective competition returns with a sweet new twist. This season, instead of pairing professional and amateur bakers, Crime Scene Kitchen brings together teams of friends and family members to test their combined sleuthing and baking skills.

The competition is divided into two rounds per episode. In the first “safety bake,” teams investigate the crime scene kitchen and attempt to replicate the dessert. The team that comes closest earns immunity and advances to the next week. The remaining teams face an elimination round, where they must bake another mystery dessert. The weakest performing team is sent home each week until a winner is crowned.

• Release date: September 24, 2024 
• Genre: Documentary, Sport
• Rating: N.A.
• Director: FredAnthony Smith
• Cast: Michael Vick, Jamie Foxx, Common, Larry Wilmore 

This docuseries explores the rich and complex history of Black quarterbacks in professional football. Through archival footage, interviews with players past and present, and expert commentary, the series traces the journey of African American athletes in the most prominent and scrutinized position on the field.

The show examines the persistent myths and biases that kept Black players from the quarterback position, including false narratives about intelligence and leadership abilities. It also celebrates the unique talents and playing styles that Black quarterbacks brought to the game, reimagining the position and the sport as a whole.

Samsung seems to be betting big on slimmer designs to reignite interest in its devices. We’ve already seen multiple reports suggesting that the company is working on a thinner Galaxy Z Fold 6 and its next Galaxy S series flagship is also rumored to be the slimmest and lightest Ultra model to date. Now, a new report suggests that the company could take a similar design approach for the Galaxy S25 FE.

Although it has only been a few days since the Galaxy S24 FE hit the market, Samsung appears to have started work on its successor. According to The Elec (via Neowin), the company plans to launch an FE version of its upcoming flagship Galaxy S25 series next year and it’s currently considering a new, slimmer design for the device.

The report states that Samsung could launch the Galaxy S25 FE as a slim model and equip it with a 6.7-inch display. To achieve a slimmer form factor, it’s speculated that the device may pack a thinner battery with a larger surface area. However, it’s too early to say if that will be the case.

In addition to a slimmer design, the Galaxy S25 FE could arrive with a MediaTek Dimensity chipset. Tipster Junkanlosreve, who previously claimed that Samsung would offer the base Galaxy S25 with a MediaTek chip, now says (via GSMArena) that the South Korean giant has had a change of plans and will use the Dimensity chip for the Galaxy S25 FE instead.

The Galaxy S25 FE is still in an early stage of development, so we’re taking these rumors with a pinch of salt. Samsung will likely make further changes before the device hits the market late next year.