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It's July, I'm fresh off writing my 2026 cameras half-year review, and in the process something became clear to me — neither Nikon nor Fujifilm has released a new camera this year (the Instax mini Evo Cinema instant camera doesn't count).

So while I've personally tested standout models from other manufacturers in recent months, such as the Sony A7R VI and Canon EOS R6 Mark III mirrorless cameras, plus the Ricoh GR IV and Panasonic Lumix L10 premium compacts, we're yet to see new Z-mount or X-mount bodies.

I'm sure the question on many a camera fan's lips is this: can we expect new Nikon and Fujifilm cameras later this year?

I've reviewed every major camera release over the last few years, attended countless events, and have studied the timeline and cadence of previous releases to form a picture of what could happen next.

I've considered which bodies could be due for an upgrade, and what direction each brand has been headed recently. So let's see what could happen next for 2026's quiet camera manufacturers, Nikon and Fujifilm.

The last Nikon camera body was the Nikon Zr from September 2025, which was its first cinema camera co-branded with RED. It packed super-impressive video specs, many of which were borrowed from the superb Z6 III, into a particularly small body with an epic 4-inch touchscreen and stellar audio features.

For a true mirrorless hybrid with viewfinder, we need to go even further back, over a year in fact, to the Nikon Z5 II in May 2025. This was a decent upgrade of Nikon's affordable Z5, which delivered a raft of performance improvements to redefine what entry-level full-frame models can do, and went on to bag our Camera of the Year 2025 award.

Currently, the range of Nikon cameras includes the Nikon Z30, Z fc and Z50 II APS-C bodies, and the Z5 II, Z6 III, Z f, Z7 II, Z8 and Z9 full-frame bodies, plus the ZR cinema body.

The most heavily rumored Nikon cameras are the Nikon Z9 II — what with the Z9 being over four years old — and new cinema camera bodies; potentially a premium and larger option with pro-grade connectivity that could sit above the ZR, plus an even more affordable version with an APS-C sensor.

We could get a new Z f-series model — both of the retro-styled bodies have been around for a while now. Personally, I'd like to see a Nikon camera in the Z f style, but as a compact camera version with a fixed fast aperture prime lens.

Tipsters believe we're unlikely to see another Z7 camera; the Z6 III (and obviously the Z5 II) is too recent for a replacement, while the Z8 has aged well and still holds its own today. CoolPix compact cameras have seemingly been sunsetted — besides refreshing its old 125x zoom bridge camera with the CoolPix P1100, we haven't seen a true new CoolPix in several years.

For me, having been hosted by Nikon at IBC 2025 in Amsterdam last September around the launch of the ZR, it was clear that Nikon has its head in cinema camera gear, so a high-end cinema body to follow the ZR is highly plausible, though I don't know what it would be called.

A new Nikon cinema camera with an APS-C sensor is also highly likely. In theory, it would effectively render a direct Z30 successor redundant, although it would cost a fair whack more than a potential Z30 II would. That would be a shame — the Z30 is Nikon's cheapest mirrorless camera, and Nikon has otherwise largely ignored truly affordable cameras for beginner photographers.

As for Fujifilm cameras, the X-T30 III was its most recent X-mount release, back in October 2025, which followed the classy X-E5 from June 2025.

Those launches meant that practically every current X-mount model is fitted with Fujifilm's latest X-Processor 5 chip, besides the X-Pro series, with a range of 26MP and 40MP options.

I wouldn't bank on an X-Pro 4 until the next generation of processor is out in the wild, if at all, and usually each new processor comes with the latest high-end X-T model, the most recent of which was the X-T5.

It comes as no surprise then that the X-T6 is the most-rumored Fujifilm camera, which is being tipped for a September release when Fujifilm typically hosts its once- or twice-yearly X-Summit.

I've written about what upgrades I'd hope for in an X-T6, especially improved autofocus performance and an all-new processor, but otherwise it's hard to see where Fujifilm can better the X-T5 without treading on the toes of the high-speed XH-series.

Elsewhere in the range, the X100VI premium compact continues to sell well, and so I'd be really surprised if a seventh generation model comes this year — a new processor needs to come first, too.

Stepping outside of new gear and into photography, it's worth noting that Fujifilm recently shared its new 'Look Up' campaign (see below), encouraging people to look up from their screens and connect with the world around them, saying:

'Our cameras bring you back into the moment, giving you agency over how you see, how you feel and how you remember. They allow you to turn emotions into images — a grounding force that doesn’t tell you what to think, but helps you stay focused and present.'

Are you a Nikon or Fujifilm photographer? Which camera would you like to see next, and what are the upgrades that would benefit your photography the most? Have your say in the comments.

We’re approaching the first anniversary of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, which means it won’t be long before we see the phone (or phones, as the case may be) that will replace it in Samsung’s lineup.

As someone who has relied on the Fold 7 as my daily driver since it landed, I couldn’t be more excited to see what the next generation holds, and I have a few wishes I hope Samsung will make come true — with leaks teasing some of them just might…

Before we get into that, vote in our poll to tell me which upgrade you most want to see in the Z Fold 8 when it’s finally announced.

The Z Fold 7 has been my go-to every day since I first received it, but for the past six months I’ve also consistently carried a second phone in my pocket — becoming the kind of kind of tech journo I hoped I never would, one obsessed with tech perfection no matter how inefficient and niche my collection of gadgets is (just you wait, I’ll be wearing two smartwatches next).

The reason I mention this is that the second phone is the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, and its primary purpose is as a camera, because it frankly puts my Z Fold 7's shots to shame.

If you want a clearer sign that 200MP sensors aren’t made equally, see this pair’s photos side by side. Couple that with the Ultra’s superior zoom cameras — further amplified by its boasting dual 5x and 3x telephotos compared to the Fold 7’s lonely 3x — and for photo enthusiasts, it’s clear the S26 Ultra has an edge.

My hope is that if the Z Fold 8 is getting an Ultra moniker, as some leaks suggest, it’ll boast identical cameras, or risk feeling like a subpar alternative, despite having a price point that demands excellence in every category.

Speaking of price, the reality I’m preparing for is that the Z Fold 8 will cost more than the Fold 7, thanks to RAM and storage cost increases. There’s a chance Samsung could avoid this by having its memory-producing arm give its mobile division a discount, although there are conflicting reports about a cost-saving collaboration based on leaks and Samsung’s own comments.

Regardless, I think the Z Fold 8 design could hint at a slight discount. I’m not talking about the wider display — though it does seem to have a smaller area, which should reduce costs somewhat — I’m referring to the lack of a third camera.

With it being rumored to boast 12GB of RAM and a top-end Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset — essential components for Samsung’s top-tier AI — it’s yet to be seen if the display and camera downgrades will bring the cost down in real terms or merely counteract the cost increases we would have faced thanks to the RAM crisis. I have my fingers crossed we might see the cheapest Samsung Fold yet with the 8 (defeating the reigning champ: the $1,799 / £1,599 / AU$2,499 Galaxy Z Fold 3).

The Z Fold 7 boasts a 4,400mAh battery just like the Z Fold 6 before it, but thanks to software and chipset optimizations, Samsung promised the battery life of the 7 would be a little longer. My anecdotal evidence, however, as someone who used the Z Fold 6 as my main handset before the 7 launched, is that the battery seems to disappear faster on the newer model.

Now, this isn’t based on any tests, but speaking to a few other regular Z Fold 7 users who had upgraded from the 6, my perception of worse battery life was echoed. Thankfully, leaks tease a bigger battery for the 8, taking us up to a whole 4,800mAh. The Ultra will apparently stretch to 5,000mAh.

Considering some reasonably priced Chinese brands are delivering phones powered by silicon-carbon batteries with capacities over 7,000mAh, the leaked specs leave me underwhelmed. However, considering my usage currently forces me to charge my phone in the middle of the day — or risk it running dry before I get home — I’ll be happy with any upgrade in the battery department.

The star of the show on the S26 Ultra is the privacy display, but after spending more time with it, the tech does need a little tweaking. An easy software update would be to add app controls that let me choose which software uses maximum privacy mode. I don’t want to use it all the time, but I would love for it to come on automatically for password entry and mobile banking. However, it is still impressive.

Seeing it on the Z Fold 8 would be fantastic, especially on the Z Fold 8 Ultra, as, like the cameras, it would bring the Fold Ultra on par with the unbending Ultra, though I’m willing to accept the tech only showing up on the outer screen.

Unfortunately for me, leaks don’t tease this addition making its way to Samsung’s latest foldables, but maybe I’ll get lucky!

I’ve come around a little on the S Pen after experiencing it in the S26 Ultra, though I’m still not keen to see it return to the foldable line.

Why?

There’s no space to add it without making the phone thicker again. Frankly, the supreme thinness of the Z Fold 7 is what makes it infinitely more manageable than Samsung’s previous foldable phones.

With the Wide design being more tablet-like, I 100% see the appeal of a stylus to make the design perfect for casual digital artists, but I don’t think the S Pen’s positives outweigh the negatives. I hope it stays gone when the Z Fold 8 debuts.

• A Chinese robotics firm has said that some workers ‘want to be replaced’ by its humanoid robots
• Agibot has launched its range of humanoid and quadruped robots in the UK B2B sector
• The company's Europe and US lead also said that robots could become nurses and teachers

An executive for Chinese robotics firm Agibot has said the company believes its humanoid robots could replace certain human workers — and that “in some jobs, they want to be replaced.”

Agibot, founded in 2023 by two ex-Huawei engineers, makes humanoid, quadruped, and cleaning robots for the business-to-business (B2B) sector, advertising use cases like manufacturing, cleaning, entertainment, and construction.

The company recently rolled its 15,000th unit off the production line and announced its expansion into the UK market at an event in London on June 30.

In a press conference at the event, attended by TechRadar, the president of AgiBot Europe and America, William Shi, told reporters that “we’ve got to factor people doing dangerous, boring, and repeatable jobs — these kinds of jobs can be very easily replaced.”

Shi added: “For some job descriptions, they want to be replaced, because it’s very boring, very dangerous, and very high-risk — nobody wants to do this [kind of job]”.

Agibot's product range includes the full-sized A3 humanoid robot, the half-sized X2 humanoid robot, and the D1 range of quadruped robots (with form factors resembling dogs, though the company never describes them as such).

Though the company has just landed in the UK, its robots have been successfully deployed in manufacturing facilities in China. A recent YouTube livestream shows the G2 industrial robot ‘at work’ at the Longcheer electronics factory, where the humanoid robots are deployed alongside human employees.

Speaking about Agibot's deployment with Longcheer, Shi said: “They have a lot of workers standing for eight hours per day. They take a smartphone, turn it around, and put it in a box. And then they take the box and move to the next production phase.”

“These kinds of steps can be easily — and are expected to be — replaced by robotics,” he continued, “because that doesn’t create value or create happiness for people. They don’t learn when they do this job. They don’t invent things.”

At present, Agibot's products are not autonomous, but each is equipped with a three-part AI model, with each part controlling interaction (with people), locomotion (moving around), and manipulation (of the local environment — i.e., picking stuff up), respectively.

The company is actively aiming for autonomy, powered by the collection of usage data and further AI development, but Shi emphasizes that Agibot humanoids will remain “under the control and expectation of the human.”

As well as manufacturing, Shi highlighted baristas, live entertainment workers, and even teachers and nurses as professions that could be occupied by robots: “There’s a big lack of nurses in every country, from China, to America, to Europe, and also a big lack of teachers.”

“Most of children’s questions can be responded to [by robots] — phonics, science, and mathematics questions, or even some common conversations. You ask for the weather, the humidity; you can ask these questions to all the robots, because they’re based on large language models.”

Still, there’s some distance between using ChatGPT to conduct research and allowing a humanoid robot to teach children — and according to 2025 research by KPMG and the University of Melbourne, while almost three quarters of UK adults use AI at work, less than half say they trust it.

With the B2C market a distant target for Agibot and an array of business partners — including Nvidia, which provides chipsets for the robots — backing the company's UK launch, it's clearly expecting to make big progress in B2B industries first and foremost. But Agibot isn't ruling out a future in which robots are part of our everyday lives.

“What we want in the future is that the robot can take some responsibility in daily life,” said Shi, “but they will never make the decisions instead of a human.”

• Air-filled fiber carried 51.3 Tb/s across 206.5 km unaided
• Researchers push 1.2 Tb/s through each wavelength across record distances
• AI infrastructure increasingly depends on networks moving data faster everywhere

Chinese fiber manufacturer YOFC says it has completed a hollow-core fiber transmission trial that reached 51.3 Tb/s over 206.5 km without regeneration.

The demonstration involved collaboration with China Telecom and optical equipment manufacturer Dekoli using a live network rather than laboratory conditions alone.

Researchers achieved a transmission rate of 1.2 Tb/s per wavelength while avoiding intermediate signal regeneration equipment along the entire route.

Unlike conventional optical cables that guide light through solid silica cores, hollow-core fiber transmits signals through air-filled channels instead.

That architectural difference allows light to travel faster while reducing several optical distortions that traditionally limit transmission efficiency over distance.

YOFC previously stated that its hollow core technology could deliver 31% lower latency and transmission speeds improving by 47%.

The company now claims the latest trial establishes the highest unrepeatered wavelength division multiplexing capacity ever demonstrated under field conditions.

Researchers described the achievement as the world's first field deployment combining 1.2 Tb/s wavelengths with a 206.5 km span.

Previous demonstrations managed comparable transmission rates over roughly 20 km, while longer experiments generally sacrificed substantial amounts of overall capacity.

The trial relied exclusively on erbium-doped fiber amplifiers instead of remote-pumped amplification systems often required for comparable distances.

Commercial hollow core deployments have historically struggled with signal attenuation, making long unrepeatered transmission distances difficult to sustain economically.

The research team tackled those limitations by using adaptive allocation techniques that independently adjusted channel rates and optical power across wavelengths.

That approach allowed hybrid transmission settings while reducing losses associated with gas absorption effects unique to air-guided optical signals.

Engineers also developed a high-power amplifier capable of producing 33.5 dBm output while maintaining relatively uniform gain characteristics.

Because transmitting optical power approaching 2.24 W introduces operational risks, several automatic protection systems monitored link behaviour continuously throughout testing.

Safeguards included anomaly detection systems, automated shutdown functions and alarm-triggered responses designed to prevent expensive equipment failures during operation.

The timing of the experiment coincides with accelerating demand from AI tools requiring unprecedented movement of information between data centers worldwide.

Large GPU clusters increasingly depend on networking performance, creating constraints that processors alone cannot solve through additional computing resources.

Lower-latency transmission could allow operators to distribute facilities farther apart without incurring penalties that affect training and inference performance.

YOFC believes the trial marks progress toward wider deployment, although competing hollow core ecosystems are rapidly emerging outside China's supply chains.

Whether such experiments eliminate bandwidth bottlenecks remains uncertain, although networking limitations increasingly appear as important as computing limitations themselves.

Via Tom's Hardware

A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Saturday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Saturday, July 4 (game #853).

Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Barking up the right tree

Play any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.

• POLITE
• SPRITE
• LIVER
• HUNGER
• TINGE
• SPEEDING

• Spangram has 13 letters

• First side: bottom, 1st column

• Last side: top, 6th column

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

The answers to today's Strands, game #854, are…

• POINTER
• SPANIEL
• TERRIER
• HOUND
• RETREIVER
• SPANGRAM: HUNTINGBREEDS

• My rating: Easy
• My score: Perfect

My immediate thought was that the theme had to have something to do with dogs, but I was wary, of course, of falling into a trap and barking up the wrong tree.

After spotting POINTER it seemed clear that we were looking for dog breeds, but my canine knowledge was not good enough to know that we were searching out HUNTINGBREEDS until after I had connected SPANIEL and TERRIER and then the spangram.

Beyond the game itself there was also an interesting crop of lengthy non-game words. It’s rare that I’ll find many over five-letters long but today the board was loaded with them.

• BRIGHT
• COLORFUL
• DAZZLING
• EXCITING
• SPARKLING
• SPANGRAM: FIREWORKS

Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day.