https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/ Tech news, honest write-ups, deals and buying guides from the Kropp Media network. en-AU Kropp Media Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/dji-osmo-360-ii-australia-price-on-sale/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/dji-osmo-360-ii-australia-price-on-sale/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 DJI's second 360 camera is in Australian stores this week. The Standard Combo is A$899 and the Adventure Combo is A$1,079, which puts it about A$150 under Insta360's X6. Price https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/htc-vive-eagle-ai-glasses-australia-price/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/htc-vive-eagle-ai-glasses-australia-price/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 HTC's camera glasses went on sale in Australia on 14 September at A$799, through Vive's own store and selected Harvey Norman stores. Two years of the AI subscription is included, then it costs extra. Launch https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/sony-ult-tower-max-7-5-party-speakers-australia/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/sony-ult-tower-max-7-5-party-speakers-australia/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Sony has added three party speakers to its ULT range. The ULT Tower 5 is A$549, the Tower 7 is A$799 and the flagship Tower Max is A$1,999, and Sony says all three are available now. Launch https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/asus-zenbook-14-ux3480-australia-price-battery-claims/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/asus-zenbook-14-ux3480-australia-price-battery-claims/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 The 2026 Zenbook 14 is on sale in Australia in its Snapdragon X version at A$2,099. Asus quotes anywhere from 21 to 33 hours of battery across the range, and the model you can buy today sits at the low end of that. Launch https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/amazon-prime-big-deal-days-australia-2026-dates/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/amazon-prime-big-deal-days-australia-2026-dates/ Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Amazon Australia has locked in its spring sale, and it's a week long here: 29 September to 5 October. The US gets two days on 6 and 7 October. Prime membership is required. Price https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/valve-steam-frame-australia-price-reservations/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/valve-steam-frame-australia-price-reservations/ Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Valve opened Steam Frame reservations at 3am Tuesday our time. The 256GB headset is A$1,609 and the 1TB is A$1,969, Australia ships direct from Steam, and the power supply is a separate A$49. Launch https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/apple-iphone-17-17e-air-australia-price-rise/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/apple-iphone-17-17e-air-australia-price-rise/ Sat, 12 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Everyone was watching the folding one. Meanwhile the iPhone 17 went from A$1,399 to A$1,549 on Apple's Australian store and the 17e went from A$999 to A$1,149, with no announcement of any kind. Price https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/apple-iphone-18-pro-pro-max-australia-price/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/apple-iphone-18-pro-pro-max-australia-price/ Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 The iPhone 18 Pro is A$2,099 and the Pro Max is A$2,299, both A$100 more than last year. Pre-orders open 10pm Saturday 12 September and phones land Friday 18 September. The main camera gets a variable aperture, the A20 Pro is a 2nm chip, and there's no standard iPhone 18 at all. Launch https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/apple-iphone-duo-foldable-australia-price-october/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/apple-iphone-duo-foldable-australia-price-october/ Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Apple's first foldable is the iPhone Duo: a 5.4 inch phone that opens into a 7.6 inch screen, titanium, IP68, two batteries, Touch ID instead of Face ID, and A$3,499 to start. Pre-orders open 16 October and it ships 23 October, more than a month after the Pro phones. Launch https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/apple-watch-series-12-ultra-4-australia-price/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/apple-watch-series-12-ultra-4-australia-price/ Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Both new Apple Watches get a new heart sensor and an S11 chip that reads your heart rate every five seconds, plus a daily readiness number. Series 12 starts at A$649, Ultra 4 at A$1,349, pre-orders are open now and they're in stores Friday 18 September. Launch https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/apple-airpods-5-anc-australia-price/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/apple-airpods-5-anc-australia-price/ Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 AirPods 5 are A$219, or A$249 with the wireless charging case, and every model now has Active Noise Cancellation. Apple says they block up to 50 per cent more noise than the AirPods 4 with ANC. Pre-orders are open, in stores Friday 18 September. Launch https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/apple-ios-27-release-date-siri-ai-limits/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/apple-ios-27-release-date-siri-ai-limits/ Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 iOS 27 is a free update on Tuesday 15 September in Australia. It brings the rebuilt Siri AI as a beta, new parental controls, and a footnote that says the cloud AI features have daily usage limits, with paid access coming later. Update https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/corsair-tc80-gaming-chair-australia-price/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/corsair-tc80-gaming-chair-australia-price/ Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Corsair's TC80 is a A$279 fabric gaming chair that joins the TC100 and TC500 in its range. Corsair's whole pitch is the 30-odd durability tests it's been through, including 100,000 drops of a 57kg weight on the seat. It's on sale now, black only, two-year warranty. Launch https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/xiaomi-18-fold-xring-o3-china-launch/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/xiaomi-18-fold-xring-o3-china-launch/ Wed, 09 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Xiaomi's 18 Fold is a wide, short foldable running Xiaomi's own Xring O3 chip, with a 6,000mAh battery and Leica cameras, from 10,999 yuan in China. It goes on sale there on 10 September. There is no Australian date or price. Launch https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/dyson-camerajet-toothbrush-australia/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/dyson-camerajet-toothbrush-australia/ Sat, 05 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Dyson's first toothbrush has a tiny camera in the head that spots the gaps between your teeth and fires a jet of mouthrinse into them while you brush. It is listed at $799 on Dyson Australia and already showing out of stock. Launch https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/nintendo-switch-2-australia-price-rise-september-2026/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/nintendo-switch-2-australia-price-rise-september-2026/ Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Nintendo Australia's price rise on the Switch 2 took effect on 1 September. The console has gone from $699.95 to $769.95. New Zealand copped a bigger jump, and the original Switch is unchanged. Price https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/samsung-galaxy-book6-14-inch-cheaper-model/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/samsung-galaxy-book6-14-inch-cheaper-model/ Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Samsung announced a new entry-level 14-inch Galaxy Book6 on 1 September. It starts at US$799 and £799, claims 25 hours of video playback, and is the first Galaxy Book in a Violet Silver colour. No Australian price or date yet. Launch https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/acer-predator-atlas-7-handheld-ifa-2026/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/acer-predator-atlas-7-handheld-ifa-2026/ Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Acer announced the Predator Atlas 7 at IFA in Berlin on 2 September. It shrinks the 8-inch Atlas down to 7 inches, keeps the Intel Arc G3 chips and an 80Wh battery, and arrives in Europe in November. Australia and pricing are unconfirmed. Launch https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/apple-event-9-september-2026-what-to-expect/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/apple-event-9-september-2026-what-to-expect/ Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Apple has confirmed its September event for 10am Pacific on 9 September, which is 3am on Thursday 10 September in Queensland. The date is the only thing Apple has actually said. Everything else is rumour, and there is a lot of it. Launch https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/sonos-27-update-ai-portable-surrounds/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/sonos-27-update-ai-portable-surrounds/ Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Sonos has renamed its software Sonos 27 and is pushing it to every S2 speaker as a free update from 8 September. Portable speakers become rear surrounds, and outside AI assistants can control the system. Update https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/sonos-beam-ultra-ace-ultra-australia/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/sonos-beam-ultra-ace-ultra-australia/ Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Sonos announced the Beam Ultra soundbar and Ace Ultra headphones on 1 September. Both land in Australia on 29 September, and the Beam finally gets real upward-firing speakers. Launch https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/samsung-galaxy-s26-fe-australia-launch/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/samsung-galaxy-s26-fe-australia-launch/ Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Samsung announced the Galaxy S26 FE overnight and Samsung Australia has already put local prices on it. It starts at $1,149 on 4 September, fifty dollars more than the S25 FE, and most of the hardware carries straight over from last year. Launch https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/apple-mac-mini-m6-m5-pro-australia/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/apple-mac-mini-m6-m5-pro-australia/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Apple has put its first 2 nanometre chip in the Mac mini and confirmed Australian pricing at A$1,449. Less than two years ago the same machine started at A$999, and both of those numbers come from Apple's own Australian newsroom. Launch https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/apple-mac-studio-m5-max-m5-ultra-australia/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/apple-mac-studio-m5-max-m5-ultra-australia/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 The Mac Studio now runs M5 Max or M5 Ultra, Apple's first four-die chip. Australian pricing starts at A$4,299 for the Max and A$9,499 for the Ultra, and the 512GB memory configuration does not ship until late October. Launch https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/sennheiser-momentum-true-wireless-5/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/news/sennheiser-momentum-true-wireless-5/ Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Both the earbuds and the charging case have batteries you can swap out with a screwdriver that comes in the box. They ship on 3 September at 299.95 US dollars, and Australian pricing is being reported at two different numbers. Launch https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/pressco-auto-ironing-machine/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/pressco-auto-ironing-machine/ Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 An Australian ironing machine that takes a shirt straight out of the wash, wet, and hands it back dry and pressed in about ten minutes. $239. Review https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/journey-alti-play-desk-mat/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/journey-alti-play-desk-mat/ Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 A desk mat trying to be more than a desk mat. Whether that is clever or just extra depends entirely on how much already lives on your desk. Review https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/flexispot-h7-pro-side-table/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/flexispot-h7-pro-side-table/ Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 The maple side table that turns a single desk into a working corner. The useful question is whether you need more desk or just better desk. Review https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/shade-eyewear-sunnies/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/shade-eyewear-sunnies/ Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 An Australian sunnies brand out of Tugun. Queensland sun is a genuinely hard test, and most cheap sunglasses fail it in the first summer. Review https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/levoit-core-300s/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/levoit-core-300s/ Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 The small smart purifier that turned up in Harvey Norman this year. In a house with a baby and three older kids, air quality stopped being a novelty pretty quickly. Review https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/orbitkey-desk-range/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/orbitkey-desk-range/ Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Three products from the Australian carry brand, all aimed at the same problem: the desk is where small things go to disappear. Review https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/novium-hoverpen-future/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/novium-hoverpen-future/ Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000 A pen that stands upright on a magnetic base and spins. It is a desk object first and a writing instrument second, and it is better to be honest about that. Review https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/snap-wireless-powerbase-4/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/snap-wireless-powerbase-4/ Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000 A multi-device charging base with a watch attachment. The category is crowded, so the question is what it does that a cheaper pad does not. Review https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/orbitkey-nest-v2/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/orbitkey-nest-v2/ Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 The desk organiser with wireless charging built in. At $169.90 it is not an impulse buy, so it has to actually change how the desk works. Review https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/sonos-ace-headphones/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/sonos-ace-headphones/ Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Around six hundred dollars of headphones, written up from the only angle that matters to me: are they worth it for a busy dad rather than an audiophile. Review https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/flexispot-c7-max/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/flexispot-c7-max/ Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 FlexiSpot's flagship ergonomic chair. Full mesh back, 4D armrests, adjustable lumbar. Used over weeks in a real home office, not hours. Review https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/flexispot-e7-pro/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/flexispot-e7-pro/ Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Dual-motor sit-stand desk with memory presets and a frame that takes serious weight. Assembled it, loaded it up, and lived with it. Review https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/lululook-gaming-pillow-stand/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/lululook-gaming-pillow-stand/ Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 A cushioned stand for handheld gaming on the couch. Aimed at the Switch 2, and at anyone whose wrists have opinions after an hour. Review https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/eufy-e25-omni/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/eufy-e25-omni/ Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 A self-emptying robot vacuum in a house with four kids, a lot of floor and no shortage of things left on it. That last part is the real test. Review https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/two-svge-sunglasses/ https://tech.kroppmedia.com.au/reviews/two-svge-sunglasses/ Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Australian eyewear out of Perth, and a repeat partner rather than a one-off. Repeat business usually tells you more about a product than a first look does. Review