Winners and Losers: The Xbox Series X wows while Apple leakers stumble over dates

It has been a busy week in tech. Google finally kicked off its Android 11 roll out starting with the company’s own Pixel phones, Bose launched a pair of true wireless earbuds to rival Apple’s AirPods Pro and, as we get closer to the next generation of gaming consoles, we saw plenty of rumours alluding to the PlayStation 5.

However, the most exciting news came in the form of a tweet (or a series of tweets) from the official Xbox account on Twitter. Microsoft has finally confirmed the existence of the Xbox Series S – and we were pleasantly surprised to hear how much it’ll costs to get our hands on one.

Meanwhile, we’ve been getting mixed signals from Apple tipsters this week as the rumour mill attempts to keep up with Apple’s elusive 2020 release schedule.

Winner: Microsoft

The Xbox Series S dominated gaming news this week, claiming the crown from Nvidia after last weeks massive Ampere launch.

Microsoft shared an official launch trailer for the Xbox Series S on the Xbox Twitter account on Tuesday, confirming not only the existence of the console, but design details and the specs the Series S is packed with in a series of tweets.

The thread confirmed that the more affordable alternative to the next-gen Series X will feature the same CPU as its pricier sibling, with a less powerful GPU.

Other specs include an all-digital format, 1440p performance up to 120fps, a variable refresh rate, support for ray tracing, 4K upscaling and playback, custom NVME SSD, and a 60% smaller design compared to the chunky Xbox Series X.

Microsoft also unveiled a seriously enticing £249.99 price tag for the Series S, along with a £449 reveal for the Series X. Both consoles are set to launch November 10, with pre-orders kicking off September 22.

It seems Microsoft has really hit the mark with the Series S, offering an affordable option for gamers willing to make sacrifices to avoid splurging on a next-gen console, and we’re excited to see how it performs.

Loser: Apple leakers

Our hopes were raised (and promptly dashed) this week when Apple’s highly anticipated September 8 announcement turned out to be an invitation to a launch event and not a product unveiling.

Some leakers were dead set on Apple delivering its latest goodies to our screens this week, with reputable tipster Jon Prosser especially insistent.

Prosser lifted our expectations when he revealed that his sources were adamant the Apple Watch Series 6 and new iPad Air would land on Tuesday, sharing further evidence in the form of screenshots of unavailable smartwatches in the Apple Store.

On top of that, some tipsters believed we could see the iPhone 12 announced as early as this week. While this would fit with Apple’s usual release schedule, the company had already confirmed that the smartphone will suffer a short delay this year, making this rumour less likely from the start.

As you’ve probably figured out by now, neither the Apple Watch nor the iPad made an appearance this week, with Apple instead sharing news of a launch event next week.

Thankfully, Apple tipster Mark Gurman seems to believe we’ll see the new Apple Watch and iPad next week so we might not have to wait long after all.