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I Tried Valve’s Steam Frame, Machine and Controller: SteamOS Is Coming for Your Face and TV

Valve is working on a new standalone VR headset, Xbox-sized game console and wireless controller. I tried them all at the company’s HQ.

Imagine, if you will, a Steam Deck and a VR headset combining into a new gaming life form — part Meta Quest, part handheld game system. As I slid the Steam Frame over my eyes and my hands into the controller, that’s exactly what I felt.

The Steam Frame is a new VR headset by gaming giant Valve, the company behind the Steam platform, but it wasn’t the only new piece of hardware I tested during the course of a few hours at Valve’s HQ. There’s also the Steam Machine, a console-sized PC designed to connect to a television, and the Steam Controller. These three new devices are designed to work together as a complete ecosystem.

All three pieces of the new Steam gaming hardware will be available in early 2026, though pricing hasn’t been announced. I was among a small group of journalists invited to experience them for the first time, and I came away with some answers, and a few questions.

First off, none of these devices is a new Steam Deck, one of the best handheld game consoles. I don’t expect Valve to announce the next Steam Deck in 2026, and company representatives I asked gave me no reason to think otherwise. And the Steam Machine doesn’t seem to be a direct Xbox or PlayStation competitor, either. Seen as a whole, all three new Valve gadgets push the idea of PC gaming in novel directions. And based on Valve’s history of hardware launches, their tech could eventually appear in third-party products, too.

Steam Frame, a standalone VR headset, captured my excitement the most. It’s been six years since the Valve Index debuted in 2019, and rumors have been heating up recently. But Valve’s return to VR in 2026, amid a landscape full of AI and AR-infused mixed reality headsets and glasses, is quite different. Valve isn’t interested in AR right now, or AI for that matter. The Steam Frame is all about gaming. 

I also spent time with the cube-shaped, nearly console-like PC Valve called Steam Machine, playing games while connected to a TV. And I played using the new Steam Controller, a separately sold wireless controller with a set of Steam Deck-like controls and a new wireless protocol for connecting lag-free.

Let’s get even deeper into what impressed me, and what to expect from each product when they drop next year.

Steam Frame: A Steam Deck for your face

From the outside, nothing about the Steam Frame looks particularly unique. But it’s still wild to see Valve’s engineering team — led by designer Andrew Yang — unveil a sleek black VR headset and controllers that work on their own, just like Meta’s Quest, Apple’s Vision Pro, and Samsung Galaxy XR. But the Steam Frame is none of those things. I think of it as a Steam Deck for your face. Valve is quick to point out that the device’s biggest strength is running SteamOS on an ARM chip in this form. That means you can load your Steam game library directly onto it from a PC via a MicroSD card and start playing both VR and non-VR games on the go, or use the Steam Frame to wirelessly stream from your PC at home.

«We see it as kind of a fundamental shift in the way that we’re looking at VR,» Yang told me as I put Steam Frame on my head. «We see Steam Frame as a a new way to play your entire Steam library — not just your VR titles, but also your non-VR titles.»

The Steam Frame is Valve’s first move to put SteamOS on an ARM processor. It doesn’t have Qualcomm’s VR-focused XR2 chip, but instead uses a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 ARM64 chip with 16GB of RAM. It could be a new way to play a ton of games on other standalone hardware, VR and otherwise.

The two-piece design of the headset has the computing and lenses up front with a foam face piece, and a 21 watt-hour rechargeable battery pack in the back that’s connected by a cable and flexible head strap. Valve didn’t confirm specific battery life, claiming a range based on performance. I’d expect something between a Meta Quest and a first-gen Steam Deck (two to three hours), but I’m curious. There’s support for prescription lens inserts, but my high index option wasn’t available at the demo, so I had to squeeze my glasses in. They fit, but just barely.

The wide field of view (110 degrees) and LCD display (2,160 x 2,160 pixels per eye resolution) looked good — about equivalent to Quest 3. The clear pancake lenses made everything look vivid and unmuddied. It can run games up to 120 Hz, or even an experimental 144 Hz. Built-in audio via speakers in the front were loud, too, but you can also use wireless headphones. The Stream Frame has passthrough cameras to track movement (including in the dark with infrared) and can see via black-and-white passthrough. It’s not meant for mixed reality, but rather to help you easily create and see your play boundaries.

The controllers are awfully familiar, with a button and stick and dual-trigger layout similar to the Quest. But there’s a twist: four buttons on the right controller, and a d-pad on the left. It mirrors the Steam Deck’s design, minus the trackpads.

While a d-pad doesn’t seem ideal for VR games, it’s perfectly suited for any games in SteamOS that use Valve’s existing controller mappings. Steam games can run on this whether they’re VR or not.

Steam Frame’s PC-connected VR streaming

But the Frame isn’t just standalone; it’s designed to work with PCs, too. Valve sees the Frame as a mix between a wireless and standalone device, and its new wireless tech looks really promising. It uses a new 6 GHz-based protocol with a dongle you plug into your PC. It can stream faster than standard wireless Steam Link without taxing the local Wi-Fi or needing any cloud services. 

The Frame also has eye tracking cameras that even worked through my glasses. They aren’t used for control, but instead for foveated rendering and streaming. Foveated rendering sharpens the visuals where your eyes are focused and reduces resolution in your peripheral vision, without you noticing. But the Frame does this for streaming PC games in VR, which Valve calls foveated streaming. It reduces the load on the wireless connection, improving overall stream quality — something I’ve never seen before. Again, it happens invisibly. Playing Half-Life: Alyx streamed from a PC, I’d have never know the edges of my field of view were lower res.

I played a PC VR game called Ghost Town on Steam Frame for a little bit, wandering the deck of a ship. I also played Hades 2, stretched across an adjustable big screen floating in front of me. Both were x86 versions of the games, running in standalone mode.

Valve’s Yang emphasized that, yes, you can transfer games right off your PC and play them on Frame, including classic early-gen SteamVR games I can’t find on Quest (I’m looking at you, Adventure Time: Magic Man’s Head Games). There’s a microSD card slot on Steam Frame for expanded storage, plus an included 256GB or 1TB of space onboard.

Not all the Deck-verified games are instantly going to play on the ARM chipset. Yang said verification for the Frame will take time, as individual games are optimized for the new chipset. Valve uses an algorithm that factors in customer interest from wish lists and purchases to decide which games to prioritize, though the process for selecting titles to optimize for the Frame is still being refined.

I was surprised Valve hadn’t released a standalone version of Half-Life: Alyx for the Steam Frame. When I asked if it was coming, it sounded like Valve is exploring whether that could happen.

But what’s even more intriguing is that other Android VR games could run on Steam Frame, even ones for Android XR. «We would treat it as another one of those things to plug in,» said Jeremy Selan, a hardware/software engineer at Valve. «As Android XR becomes a richer, fuller fleshed out set of APIs and programs, and there’s content to support it, we could easily add support for that to SteamOS itself.»

Other expansions could come with a custom port in the front of the headset, which Valve hints could be for high-speed cameras.

It certainly feels like Steam Frame is a stepping stone towards ideas for a future Steam Deck, one that could work with XR glasses and connect via streaming with TV consoles and headsets. «It’s not inconceivable to think that even these products would be a part of that ecosystem dream you just laid out,» Valve’s Selan said when I ask about this.

Steam Machine and Steam Controller: PC gaming on a TV

I also demoed two non-VR devices at Valve’s HQ. The Steam Machine is a black cube about the size of a game console, something that you could easily park in front of a TV. It’s a full gaming PC that can stream wirelessly to Steam Frame, or it can simply be something you play instead of an Xbox or PlayStation. I sat down on a sofa to try out some familiar games, and I was handed a new Steam Controller to play with.

The Steam Machine is a return to a concept first introduced a decade ago. The Alienware Steam Machine in 2015 attempted to create an ecosystem of console-sized (and priced) PC game consoles. Unfortunately, its odd controller, with trackpads instead of thumbsticks, was an unwelcome shift from the rest of the PC universe.

The new Steam Machine coming in 2026 brings an infusion of Steam Deck-provided confidence, both in game compatibility and controller design. Valve says the Steam Machine is six times more graphically powerful than the three-and-a-half-year-old Steam Deck but wouldn’t share specifics beyond a few specs. The Steam Machine has a semi-custom AMD-based Zen 4 CPU and AMD RDNA3 28CUs GPU, capable of 4K 60 frames per second gaming and ray tracing. 

Meanwhile, the new Steam Controller has a full set of controls that mirror the Steam Deck’s, including analog sticks, d-pad and buttons, dual trackpads and dual triggers. It even has gyro-based controls that can be triggered by lightly touching the capacitive-touch analog sticks or rear grip buttons. I loved how it felt to hold, and I found the layout of buttons pretty reasonable to reach with my thumbs (although the angled touchpads took some getting used to). 

The Steam Machine will be available both with and without the Steam Controller. Since it’s a Steam-based PC, you can use any controller you like, but the Steam Controller’s unique features are certainly a welcome addition.

The Steam Machine has support for a new wireless protocol in the controllers: a 2.4 GHz radio that bypasses standard Bluetooth for better responsiveness. The Hall-effect magnetic analog sticks have smaller dead zones than Steam Deck, meaning you could set up even more micro-responsive thumb flick moves, and the vibrating haptics are stronger. The Steam Controller works with other PCs, too, via a wireless dongle cable that also doubles as a magnetic controller charger — a clever touch. 

I didn’t get to play many games on Steam Machine — Valve only had a handful to try — but I found the early performance hit and miss. Less graphically intense games such as Balatro and Hollow Knight: Silksong seemed totally fine, as I expected. Cyberpunk 2077, during the short time I played, looked good, too. On the other hand, Silent Hill had some graphic stutters, which Valve’s team says should be fixed in later game updates. Sonic Racing: Crossworlds had graphics performance issues as well.

Valve noted that in the early days of the Steam Deck, few games in the Steam library were optimized to run on it, but that changed as the library grew over time. The Steam Machine isn’t arriving until next year, so I’m curious to see how it performs then. Ultimately, price and performance will determine whether the Steam Machine feels like a success or a flop.

But I do love the design of the compact system. In a cool twist, it has has removable magnetic faceplates — I saw one of Heavy, my older son’s favorite character from Team Fortress 2, holding a balloon — and an LED bar on the bottom of the system that lights up and shows some animated progress bars for downloads.

I really like the controllers, which are cross-compatible with both the Steam Deck and Steam Frame. When paired with a docked Steam Deck, they make TV-connected play feel much better, closer to the experience of using a Nintendo Switch. They can even power on the Steam Machine or a docked Steam Deck.

Is this the sign of gaming ecosystems to come?

As I tried all these demos, I couldn’t help but wonder what they meant for gaming as a whole. Is Valve offering a glimpse of the future, one where our PCs, accessories and headsets are all interconnected? Or is the company deconstructing the PC itself, expanding SteamOS even further across handhelds, consoles, headsets and beyond? Maybe it’s all of the above, not so much a single product as a philosophy of interconnection.

And the crucial question: What will all of this cost when it arrives in early 2026? Valve’s team said it’s still working out pricing details and offered no hints about what any of it might cost.

The game console landscape is already in a strange, transitional place. Microsoft is embracing an «Xbox everywhere» approach, and PlayStation is experimenting with streaming handhelds and VR headsets. Nintendo’s Switch 2 is already modular. Valve looks to be taking that multi-device flexibility to Steam in a bunch of new ways, tackling everything in 2026… except the Steam Deck. 

It sounds like Valve plans for the technologies in the Steam Machine and Steam Frame to extend to third-party products as well as its own. After all, SteamOS already runs on several Windows handhelds, and Steam Link for VR works on both Quest and PlayStation VR. With the new Steam Machine, Steam Frame and Steam Controller, Valve seems to be triangulating something new —  an exploded-out Steam Deck-esque space for Steam games. 

Steam Deck won me over even though I’m not a PC gamer, and Steam Frame shows the same promise for VR. But the biggest missing piece — a new next-gen Steam Deck to tie it all together — still looms large. 

Valve acknowledges the growing interest in a new Steam Deck but says it wants to wait until the hardware can deliver a true leap forward before releasing a sequel. Maybe gaming handhelds just aren’t there yet.   

In the meantime, I can’t wait to see whether the Steam Machine will actually be a PC console that works for me. And I’m even more curious to find out if the Steam Frame could be the first true challenger to the Meta Quest. The thing is, we just won’t know until 2026.

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Technologies

Which Apple Watch Is for You? Apple Watch Series 11 vs. Ultra 3 and SE 3

Apple revamped its entire Apple Watch line, but some models got more improvements than other. We look at all the details.

When you’re looking to buy a smartwatch, whether you want a way to stay on top of notifications or its health-related features, the Apple Watch is a good place to start. But there isn’t just one. Apple sells three different versions that appeal to different needs.

The flagship Apple Watch Series 11, rugged Apple Watch Ultra 3 and economical Apple Watch SE 3 models are a lot closer in features and specs than they’ve ever been. Let’s compare them to see which deserves a place on your wrist.

Pricing the Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE 3

The current Apple Watch line spans a wide price range, from $249 for the Apple Watch SE 3 to $1,299 for a titanium Apple Watch Series 11 with an Hermès band. Like most fashion accessories, you can choose from different case sizes, materials, cellular connectivity options and bands to find the right fit — and price — for your watch.

The Apple Watch Series 11 offers the widest price range, with two case sizes, two body materials, optional cellular connectivity and premium Hermès models. The Apple Watch SE 3 is available only in aluminum and has the earlier, slightly smaller case sizes. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 comes only in titanium, with a single 49mm size and cellular included by default. 

Read more: Find the best deals on the Series 11 and Ultra 3.

Here’s how they break down:

Apple Watch Series 11 GPS GPS plus cellular
42mm aluminum $399 $499
46mm aluminum $429 $529
42mm titanium $699
46mm titanium $749
Hermès 42mm titanium $1,249
Hermès 46mm titanium $1,299
Apple Watch SE 3
42mm aluminum $249 $299
46mm aluminum $279 $329
Apple Watch Ultra 3
49mm titanium $799
Hermès 49mm titanium $1,399

Series 11 vs. Ultra 3, SE 3 physical designs

The core rounded-rectangle design of the Apple Watch has seen incremental changes since its first iterations. The Series 11 shares the slimmer 9.7mm height profile of the Series 10, with 42mm and 46mm diagonal sizes. Weight is light across the board, from 29.7 to 43.1 grams depending on size and case material. Aluminum models come in space gray, jet black, rose gold or silver, while titanium versions are offered in natural, slate or gold finishes.

The Apple Watch SE 3 is slightly thicker (10.7mm) and slightly smaller, with 40mm and 44mm sizes. Its design most closely harkens back to earlier Apple Watch models. It weighs 26.4 grams or 33 grams, depending on the case size. As the no-frills option, the SE 3 is available in either midnight (black) or starlight (silver).

The Ultra 3 is the most significant departure from the original design, with a thickness of 14.4mm, a 49mm diagonal, and a weight of 61.6 grams. Its titanium body comes in either natural or black — unless you opt for the Hermès edition, which is only offered in natural. 

CNET lead writer Vanessa Hand Orellana described the Ultra 3 in her review as being «like the luxury Land Rover you see in safari brochures: It’s adventure-ready on the outside, with all the modern conveniences on the inside.» The body is also 3D-printed from 100% recycled titanium, but you’d never know it; there are no telltale layering marks found on most 3D-printed items.

Each watch has Apple’s Digital Crown and a side button. The Ultra 3 also includes a programmable Action button, which can, for example, start a workout with a single press.

Aside from looks, all three Apple Watch models are built for durability. The SE 3 is water resistant to 50 meters, so you don’t need to baby it — whether you’re showering, swimming or just living through a rainy Pacific Northwest day.

The Series 11 is also rated for water resistance to 50 meters, while the Ultra 3 doubles that to 100 meters. They’re also both certified IP6X dust-resistant, which is better than the SE.

Series 11 vs. Ultra 3, SE 3 displays

The Series 11 and Ultra 3 both use an LPTO 3 OLED display, which offers an always-on display and a wide viewing angle, so you don’t need to look at it head-on to see the time. It can also get very bright: 2,000 nits of peak brightness for the Series 11 and 3,000 nits (the same as the iPhone 17 Pro) for the Ultra 3. 

The energy-efficient screen can refresh its display at just one nit of brightness once every second when in its passive state, so you can always see the second hand or indicator (depending on the watch face).

The display is protected by a sapphire crystal on the titanium Series 11 and the Ultra 3. According to Apple, the aluminum Series 11 uses Ion-X glass, which is twice as scratch-resistant as the Series 10.

In past generations, the SE was stuck with the lowest-quality screen, but not this time. The SE 3 gets an always-on LTPO OLED display that reaches up to 2,000 nits of brightness and dims to just 2 nits when inactive. But it doesn’t refresh as often as the Series 11 and Ultra 3, so the seconds indicator only appears when the screen is active. It’s still a big «quality of life» bump from prior SE watches, which don’t have an always-on display mode.

Series 11 vs. Ultra 3, SE 3 battery life

One surprise with the new Apple Watch lineup is improved battery life in the Series 11 and Ultra 3, plus a fast-charge option on the SE 3 that lets you top up for a night’s sleep after a full day.

Apple claims up to 24 hours of use on a single charge for the Series 11, up from 18 hours for the Series 10. It also claims up to 38 hours in Low Power mode, a notch above the Series 10’s 36 hours. That fast-charging option can bring the battery level up to 80% in 30 minutes, but charging the watch for just 15 minutes can boost it for up to 8 hours. 

Hand Orellana writes in her Series 11 review, «The six-hour battery bump on the Series 11 may not sound like much on paper, but it’s given me some welcome breathing room to figure out a better charging strategy.»

The SE 3 still delivers up to 18 hours of use, or 32 hours in Low Power mode. It also supports fast charging — up to 80% in 45 minutes, or about eight hours of use from a quick 15-minute top-up.

If you want the most time between charges, the Ultra 3 is the Apple Watch to get. It can last for up to 42 hours, per Apple, or up to 72 hours in Low Power mode. Fast charging its larger battery takes it to 80% in about 45 minutes, and 15 minutes on the cable will give you roughly 12 hours of power.

Some of these gains come from Apple factoring in a night’s sleep, but credit also goes to the more power-efficient LTPO 3 screen in the Series 11 and Ultra 3.

It’s one thing to reference Apple’s claims, but what about battery life in practice? In Hand Orellana’s review of each model, she recorded even better battery life than Apple’s estimates. Keep in mind your daily usage will affect results, but here’s what she found:

Apple Watch Apple’s estimate CNET review
Series 11 24 hours 27-32 hours
Ultra 3 42 hours 45-49 hours
SE 3 18 hours 20-25 hours

Series 11 vs. Ultra 3, SE 3 health features

The Apple Watch SE line has always sacrificed some hardware and features to remain the least expensive option, and the SE 3 continues that tradition — but not to the same extent. It lacks an electrical heart sensor found in the Series 11 and Ultra 3, so it can’t take heart readings using the ECG app to look for signs of atrial fibrillation (Afib).

According to Apple, the SE 3 uses a second-generation optical heart sensor that tracks heart rate during exercise, sleep and potential emergencies — though, like all Apple Watches, it can’t detect heart attacks or measure blood oxygen. The Series 11 and Ultra 3 upgrade to third-generation optical heart sensors.

The SE 3 is also missing a water temperature sensor and depth gauge, making the Series 11 and Ultra 3 better options if you spend a lot of time in water and want to track swim workouts or shallow dives more reliably.

This year’s standout health feature is the ability to analyze data and detect signs of hypertension, or high blood pressure. «It’s not the full on-the-spot blood pressure monitoring Apple fans have long hoped for,» wrote Hand Orellana, «but it’s a major step forward — one that Apple says could help 1 million people get diagnosed with hypertension in the first year alone.» 

Like the sleep-apnea tracking introduced last year, hypertension notifications are not a screening tool; think of it as a warning system that prompts you to get checked out by your doctor. The Series 11 and Ultra 3 include this ability (sorry, SE 3), and require 30 days of data collection before triggering notifications. The Series 9, Series 10 and Ultra 2 also get hypertension notifications in WatchOS 26.

Series 11 vs. Ultra 3, SE 3 connectivity

Each Apple Watch model supports cellular connectivity, so you can stay connected even when your iPhone is at home. You can order the aluminum Series 11 models and the SE 3 with the cellular option; the titanium Series 11 and the Ultra 3 include it by default.

What’s unique about these watches is their support for both 5G and LTE networks, offering faster speeds and broader compatibility. Plus, they use 5G Reduced Capacity technology, which is more power efficient than the 5G networking in your iPhone.

They also support Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, and L1 GPS location chips. The Ultra 3 includes dual GPS radios (L1 and L5) for more precise location tracking, especially in challenging environments like dense downtown corridors.

Plus, the Ultra 3 offers satellite connectivity directly from the watch. With a direct view of the sky, it can communicate with overhead satellites to send and receive texts, share your location, and access emergency services.

Series 11 vs. Ultra 3, SE 3 processors

One of the biggest surprises in the lineup? The Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE 3 all include the same S10 chip. It’s worth noting that the S10, introduced in last year’s Series 10, isn’t a new processor generation for 2025. But each watch now includes 64 gigabytes of storage, a four-core Neural Engine and a 64-bit dual-core processor.

The only significant difference is that the Apple Watch SE 3 is the only model not to feature Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, which enables precise location tracking. You can still use Find My on an iPhone (with UWB) to see if the SE 3 is with you or if you left it at home. But with the Series 11 and Ultra 3, Find My will point you in the right direction as you get closer to your mislaid watch.

WatchOS 26 on the Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE 3

Each model is preloaded with WatchOS 26, which has the new Liquid Glass interface (though in most cases, it’s quite subtle). And all models add features like the new Wrist Flick gesture, nightly sleep scores, Workout Buddy, the Notes app and live translation in Messages. The Series 11 and Ultra 3, with their upgraded sensors, also gain hypertension notifications.

Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE 3 specs

Apple Watch Series 11 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple Watch SE (3rd Gen)
Design & sizes Rectangular, 42mm, 46mm Rectangular, 49mm Rectangular, 40mm, 44mm
Display 42mm: 446 × 374 pixels; LTPO3 OLED Retina display (wide-angle) 46mm: 496 × 416 pixels; LTPO3 OLED Retina display (wide-angle) 49mm: 514 × 422 pixels; LTPO3 OLED Retina display (wide-angle, Always-On) 44mm: 368 × 448 pixels (Always-On Retina LTPO OLED)Apple 40mm: 324 × 394 pixels (Always-On Retina LTPO OLED)
Brightness Between 1 and 2000 nits Between 1 and 3000 nits Up to 1000 nits
Thickness & weight 46mm: 9.7mm; 37.8g (aluminum GPS), 36.9g (aluminum GPS+Cellular), 43.1g (titanium) 42mm: 9.7mm; 30.3g (aluminum GPS), 29.7g (aluminum GPS+Cellular), 34.6g (titanium) 49mm: 14.4mm; 61.6g (titanium) 44mm: 10.7mm; 33.0g (aluminum GPS+Cellular) 40mm: 10.7mm; 26.4g (aluminum GPS+Cellular)
Material & finish Aluminum: Jet black, rose gold or silver finish; Titanium: slate, gold or natural finish with sapphire crystal display (titanium) Titanium, natural or black finish with sapphire crystal display (titanium) 100% recycled aluminum, midnight and starlight
Durability 2X more scratch resistant glass (aluminum), 5ATM Water + IP6X (dust) Water resistance 100m; dust IP6X, scuba to 40m, tested to MIL-STD 810H Cover glass is 4X times more resistant to cracks than the SE 2; made of Ion-X glass. Water resistant up to 50 meters
Battery life Up to 24 hours, up to 38 hours Low Power (always-on) + Fast charge: 80% in 30 min, 100% in 60 min Up to 42 hours; up to 72 hours Low Power. Fast charge to 80% in 45 min, 100% charge 75 min All-day, 18-hour battery life. Fast charging with 8 hours of normal use in just 15 minutes on the charger
Sensors ECG, 3rd-gen optical heart sensor, skin temp, depth gauge, SpO2, Noise monitoring, water temperature, compass ECG, 3rd-gen optical heart sensor, skin temp, depth gauge, SpO2, Noise monitoring, water temperature, compass Wrist temperature, Second-generation optical heart sensor
Emergency features Satellite SOS, Emergency SOS, Fall detection, Crash detection, Check in and Backtrack Satellite SOS, Emergency SOS, Fall detection, Crash detection, Check in and Backtrack Fall Detection, Crash Detection, Emergency SOS, and Check In
AI & coaching Siri (voice assistant); Workout Buddy Siri (voice assistant); Workout Buddy On-device Siri, Workout Buddy
Processor S10 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor, W3 Apple wireless chip S10 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor, W3 Apple wireless chip S10 SiP with 64-bit dual-core processor, W3 Apple wireless chip
RAM/Storage 64GB (storage) 64GB (storage) 64GB (storage)
Payments Apple Pay Apple Pay Apple Pay
Price (US) $399-$750 (titanium) $799 $249 (starting)

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NASA Admits Fault in Starliner Test Flight, Classifies It as ‘Type A’ Mishap

Remember the astronauts who were stranded in space for months? NASA says it’s close to identifying the «true technical root cause» of the spaceship malfunctions.

NASA has been investigating the now-infamous Boeing Starliner incident since the story dominated headlines in late 2024 and early 2025. The Starliner suffered malfunctions that stranded now-retired astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore for months. The agency has now released a report on what happened, taking responsibility for its role in the mission’s failure. 

«The Boeing Starliner spacecraft has faced challenges throughout its uncrewed and most recent crewed missions,» said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman in a NASA blog post on Thursday. «While Boeing built Starliner, NASA accepted it and launched two astronauts into space. The technical difficulties encountered during docking with the International Space Station were very apparent.»

NASA has now labelled the mission a «Type A mishap,» which is defined as a «total direct cost of mission failure and property damage greater than $2 million or more,» or where «crewed aircraft hull loss has occurred.» Both of those apply to the Starliner, which has cost the agency $4.2 billion to date. 

Isaacman also released a letter addressed to all NASA employees on X. The letter outlined various issues with the mission, including a «prior OFT thruster risk that was never fully understood,» disagreements among leadership about Williams and Wilmore’s return options, and the agency’s delay in declaring the mission a failure, despite its high-profile nature clearly showing it was. 

These sentiments were echoed in NASA’s press conference on Thursday. 

NASA has committed to working with Boeing to make the Starliner launch-worthy again and has been investigating technical issues and addressing them since the mishap early last year. Isaacman admitted at the press conference that the «true technical root cause» of the malfunctions still hasn’t been identified, but NASA believes it is close to identifying it. 

«We’re not starting from zero here,» Isaacman told a reporter during the press conference. «We’re sharing the results of multiple investigations that will be coming to light in the hours and days ahead. Boeing and NASA have been working to try and understand these technical challenges during that entire time period.»

A malfunction to remember

The crewed Starliner flight was delayed several times before finally launching on June 5, 2024. The crew experienced malfunctions en route to the ISS, including several thruster failures, which made docking particularly stressful. 

The Starliner’s return was delayed by two weeks before finally being sent home without Wilmore and Williams, who were left stranded on the ISS until returning with Crew-9 in March 2025. 

The Starliner’s story is far from over. NASA and Boeing intend to send the Starliner back to the ISS in an uncrewed resupply mission with a launch date currently set for April 2026.

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Let T-Mobile Pick Up the Tab. Get a Free iPhone 17 With a New Line

If you’ve been looking to add a new line or switch carriers, you can scoop up Apple’s latest flagship on T-Mobile’s dime.

Apple’s new iPhone 17 typically costs $830 for the 256GB configuration, or up to $1,030 for the 512GB configuration. However, T-Mobile isoffering it to customers for free if they meet certain qualifications. If you’ve been looking to trade in your old device or choose an eligible plan, now is a great time to nab this deal.

T-Mobile doesn’t mention a deadline for this deal’s end, but it’s best to act fast if you’ve been wanting the latest iPhone.

To get a free iPhone 17, you’ll need to switch to T-Mobile on an Experience Beyond or Experience More plan and open a new line. You can also choose a Better Value plan, but you must add at least three lines with that plan to get your phone. You can also add a new line on a qualifying plan to score the deal, so long as you also have an eligible device to trade in.

Buyers are still responsible for the $35 activation fee. You’ll get bill credits for 24 months that amount to your phone’s cost. Additionally, you can only get up to four devices with a new line on a qualifying plan.

Note that newer phones will net you more trade-in credits, but an iPhone 6 will net you at least $400 off. The iPhone 17 Pro is also free with a trade-in of an eligible device on an Experience Beyond plan. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is just over $4 per month right now, with the same qualifications.

We’ve also got a list of the best phone deals, if you’d like to shop around.

MOBILE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

The iPhone 17 series is the latest in Apple’s ecosystem. These smartphones are made to work with Apple Intelligence, include faster chips, offer improved camera performance and show off Apple’s trademark gorgeous design. Starting at $830, they’re not the cheapest phones around, so carrier deals like this one are the best way to save some serious cash.

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