Tag: apple

Apple Vision Pro Gets 12 Spatial Games Including Super Fruit Ninja, Cut The Rope 3 and Jetpack Joyride 2

Apple on Thursday announced the arrival of new “spatial games” that are designed to work on the company’s recently launched Apple Vision Pro headset. These games are designed to run on visionOS and are available to Apple Arcade subscribers, according to the company. Users will be able to interact with these games using hand gestures, while viewing elements in an immersive mode that uses augmented reality (AR) technology. Meanwhile, a total of 250 non-spatial titles can also be accessed on the mixed reality headset.

The iPhone maker has announced that 12 new spatial games are now available on the Vision Pro via Apple Arcade. These are Bloons TD 6+, Cut the Rope 3, Game Room, Illustrated, Jetpack Joyride 2, LEGO Builder’s Journey, Patterned, stitch., Super Fruit Ninja, Synth Riders, What the Golf?, and Wylde Flowers.

Apple has also demonstrated how some of these games will work on the Vision Pro, with gestures that be controlled with hand movements and finger gestures. These include moving chess pieces or lifting cards with your fingers, slashing virtual fruits, or catching musical notes.

The company says that more spatial games will soon make their way to Vision Pro owners. These include Alto’s Odyssey: The Lost City, Gibbon: Beyond the Trees, and Spire Blast. Like the aforementioned titles, users will be accessible via Apple Arcade.

These games are only available to customers who have subscribed to Apple Arcade or Apple One. A subscription to Apple Arcade is priced at $6.99 (roughly Rs. 580) in the US, while an individual Apple One subscription costs $19.95 (roughly Rs. 1,650) per month.

Even as Apple rolls out more content for the Vision Pro, a recent report notes an increased trend of Apple Vision Pro customers claiming across social media platforms they had returned their recently purchased headsets, as the company’s 14-day return window ends. Buyers are reportedly claiming that the headset is too heavy — it can weigh up to 650g along with a 353g battery that is connected via a cable.

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iPhone 16 to Arrive With New Neural Engine for Improved AI Performance on iOS 18: Report

Apple plans to equip the iPhone 16 series of smartphones with upgraded hardware that could improve their AI performance, according to a report. The successors to the company’s 2023 iPhone 15 lineup could be equipped with an enhanced processor, in time for iOS 18. Previous reports have suggested that Apple is working on several new AI features that could be included with its next operating system update. Rival Samsung recently released the Galaxy S24 series of smartphones that are also equipped with AI features.

An Economic Daily News report (in Chinese) states that Apple will upgrade its purported A18 chips — expected to arrive on the iPhone 16 series — with an upgraded Neural Engine. Alongside the A18 mobile processor, Apple’s next-generation M4 chips are also expected to feature a new Neural Engine with “significantly” more cores.

The latest iPhone 15 models are equipped with a Neural Engine with 16 cores — this was the case for the iPhone 14, iPhone 13, and iPhone 12 series. Meanwhile, the iPhone 11 and iPhone XS models featured an 8-core Neural Engine, while the older iPhone 8 series had only two Neural Engine cores.

The increased number of cores could be the reason why some of some of the rumoured AI features coming with the iOS 18 update will reportedly be limited to the latest iPhone 16 series. However, it’s also worth noting that Apple has managed to improve the performance of its Neural Engine on recent iPhone models without upping the core count.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said last November that the iOS 18 update was expected to help Apple sell its next generation of smartphones. The company has also confirmed that it is working on new features powered by AI. The successors to the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max models are expected to be unveiled in the second half of 2024. 

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Apple Vision Pro Buyers Returning Headset Due to Discomfort, Productivity Issues: Report

Apple Vision Pro went on sale in the US for the first time on February 2. With the company’s stipulated 14-day return window drawing closer, there is a rising trend of early buyers returning the headset. A recent report claims that most people are returning due to major physical discomforts, while others are also experiencing productivity issues. Despite the initial excitement around the new Apple device and its hefty pricing, customers seem not too willing to negotiate with comfort or ease of access.

The Verge notes in a recent report that there is an increasing trend of Apple Vision Pro buyers across social media platforms claiming to have returned or planning to return their mixed reality headsets. The report cites several customers complaining of physical discomfort, including headaches, motion sickness and irritation of the eye, which are tied to the weight and strap design of the headset. Notably, the Vision Pro can weigh up to 650g depending on its configuration. Add to it the battery pack, connected externally via a cable, which weighs 353g on its own.

However, the report adds that virtual reality headset users have “anecdotally reported dry eyes and redness for years,” and that almost all wearable devices have varying degrees of drawbacks depending on their compatibility with each unique human body. For instance, smart ring users face issues with inaccurate sizes, while smartwatch users may have trouble with the disproportionate size and weight of the watch capsule as compared to an individual’s wrist size. 

The report also notes that some Apple Vision Pro users are not happy with the productivity of the ‘spatial computer’ as opposed to that of the usual PC or laptop, especially given its very high price range. It starts at $3,499 (roughly Rs. 2.9 lakh) for the base 256GB option, while the 512GB and 1TB options are priced at $3,699 (roughly Rs. 3.07 lakh) and $3,899 (roughly Rs. 3.24 lakh), respectively. Users complained that “looking at Figma screens made them feel dizzy” and that it is difficult to multitask and switch between the tabs, the report said. One user also claimed that Vision Pro does not support all file types.

Another user on social media noted that even though Apple claims that the Apple Vision Pro supports 1,000 dedicated applications and is compatible with more than 1.5 million applications, the AR/VR headset does not support several “useful” apps, which can further impact one’s productivity.

Many Apple Vision Pro users on the return train, however, still remain excited about the technology, the report claims as some of them would be open to trying an improved second-generation of the headset. Readers should also be advised to take this report with a pinch of salt since it is not backed by relevant data and is almost completely anecdotal. 

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was also left unimpressed with the Apple Vision Pro. In a video posted on his Instagram account on Tuesday, Zuckerberg reviewed the Apple headset and concluded that Meta’s own Quest 3 headset was “the better product, period.”

Is the iQoo Neo 7 Pro the best smartphone you can buy under Rs. 40,000 in India? We discuss the company’s recently launched handset and what it has to offer on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Apple Vision Pro Now Supports Over 1,000 Dedicated Apps, Company Executive Says

Apple Vision Pro was launched earlier this month on February 2 in the US with support for over 600 dedicated applications. It is the first mixed-reality headset from the Cupertino-based tech giant. The spatial computer is equipped with the company’s EyeSight display technology and has three layers to show a 3D version of the user’s eyes with a stereoscopic effect. An Apple executive has now announced that the AR/VR headset now supports more dedicated applications than it was launched with.

Greg Joswiak, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Apple, said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that there are now more than 1,000 dedicated spatial apps for the Apple Vision Pro. The mixed-reality headset is also compatible with over 1.5 million applications. At launch, the company stated that there were more than 600 apps and games optimised for the Vision Pro.

 

Previously, a firm called Victoria VR announced that it was working on a metaverse application for the Apple Vision Pro which aims to integrate Apple’s technology with their own to offer users a life-like play experience. It is said to feature ultra-realistic graphics to offer a more immersive participation opportunity. The app could be launched by Q2 2024, according to the firm. 

The Apple Vision Pro is powered by an in-house M2 chipset paired with an R1 chip. It features dual micro-OLED displays with up to 100Hz refresh rates and runs visionOS out-of-the-box. The headset also supports AirPlay at up to 1080p, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. An external battery pack is connected to the headset via a cable which is said to offer up to two hours of battery life.

The Apple Vision Pro starts at $3,499 (roughly Rs. 2.9 lakh) for the base 256GB option, while the 512GB and 1TB options are priced at $3,699 (roughly Rs. 3.07 lakh) and $3,899 (roughly Rs. 3.24 lakh), respectively.

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Xiaomi 14 Ultra Leaked Design Renders Show Camera Bump, Faux Leather Back Panel


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Apple Rolls Out tvOS 17.4 Beta 3 With Fresh Evidence of HomePod With Display: Report

Apple has been rumoured to launch a new HomePod that comes with a display for almost a year. Now, new evidence of it being in the advanced stages of development has reportedly surfaced in Apple’s software. Just months after the tech giant launched the second generation of HomePod in January 2023, reports of a display-fitted speaker, similar to the Amazon Echo Show, began making the rounds. The audio product is said to sport a 7-inch touchscreen display that will function as an entertainment system as well as an interface for video calling.

The hints came from the codes within the tvOS 17.4 beta 3 update that was rolled out on Tuesday (February 13). 9to5Google spotted the existence of an unnamed device registered as Z314, which is capable of running the OS, mentioned in the strings of codes of the update. This new device reportedly runs on the A15 Bionic chipset. Further, the publication also found that production versions of the device were under test and development is ongoing. This could mean whatever product the code refers to, is likely close to entering production.

While at first glance, all of this might appear to be unrelated pieces of information, the report claims that they point towards a new HomePod with a display attached. As tvOS runs on both Apple TV as well as HomePod, the device could likely point at either of the two devices. However, none of them require the A15 Bionic chipset. An earlier report has highlighted that Apple might be testing tvOS 17 on the iPad mini 6 as a display companion for the HomePod. Incidentally, the iPad mini 6 is powered by A15 Bionic chipset.

Apart from this, there were additional hints that point to the new HomePod. As per the report, the update adds the SwiftUI framework to the HomePod firmware. SwiftUI is a user interface framework for building user interfaces for Apple’s operating systems. HangTracer, a system to debug unresponsive UI was also added. The report points out that these additions would not be required for the HomePod unless Apple was planning to add a display interface to it.

In March 2023, tipster Ming-Chi Kuo first tipped that a display-fitted HomePod could be in the works. He highlighted that the new product could feature a 7-inch display and might launch in the first half of 2024. Tianma Microelectronics, an electronic technology company that supplies displays to other businesses, was said to be the exclusive panel supplier for Apple’s redesigned HomePod. More details of the purported smart speaker with a built-in display are likely to arrive in the coming months.

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Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 Launched in India, ROG Strix Scar 16 and ROG Strix Scar 18 Refreshed



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Meta Quest 3 Is ‘The Better Product, Period’: Mark Zuckerberg Reviews Apple Vision Pro

Apple Vision Pro has been available for purchase in the US for nearly two weeks now, and many users have shared opinions about the company’s first mixed-reality headset. Some have been impressed while others say they are apprehensive about the technology. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has his own mixed-reality headset Meta Quest 3 competing with it, has now posted his video review after testing the Vision Pro. Sharing his opinions, he said, “Quest is the better product, period.”

The review was posted on the Meta CEO’s Instagram profile. In the 3-minute long video, he goes over the features he liked in Apple Vision Pro and highlights where the Meta Quest 3 has the advantage. He started the review by saying, “Before this, I expected that Quest would be a better value for most people since it’s really good and it is seven times less expensive.” He goes on to say that after experiencing the headset, he now believes that Quest 3 is the overall better product.

The opinion is not surprising given Zuckerberg had reservations about the Apple Vision Pro ever since it was first unveiled at the iPhone maker’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2023. At the time, he said that Meta’s vision for the metaverse was fundamentally social and he was not a fan of how every demo by Apple showed a person “sitting on a couch by themself”.

Reviewing the mixed-reality headset, Zuckerberg praised the high-resolution display on Vision Pro, and pointed out that the eye tracking was “really nice”. However, he was quick to highlight that he was surprised by the number of trade-offs Apple made with the quality, comfort, and ergonomics of the headset and its other aspects in order to get to that.

Zuckerberg also did not miss out on the opportunity to compare the Apple headset with the Meta Quest 3 and explained that the mixed-reality headset was made 120g lighter compared to the predecessor in order to be more comfortable. He also pointed out that there are no wires in the Quest 3 that get in the way when a user moves around, unlike Vision Pro. Additionally, he said the field of vision and screen brightness was better on Meta’s wearable.

“When I look around, I see a lot of people who assumed that Vision Pro would be higher quality because it’s Apple and it costs $3000 more. But honestly, I’m pretty surprised that Quest is so much better for a vast majority of things that people use these headsets for with that price differential,” he added.

The Meta CEO also compared the content libraries of both headsets and highlighted that Quest had a larger immersive content library. While this is true, Apple is also working with studios such as Disney and gaming publisher, in addition to its Apple TV+ streaming service to create its own content library.

“The reality is every generation of computing has an open and closed model. In mobile, Apple’s closed model won but it’s not always that way. If you go back to the PC era, Microsoft’s open model was the winner. In the next generation, Meta is going to be the open model and I really want to make sure that the open model wins out again,” Zuckerberg concluded.

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iPhone 16 Series Schematics Tip Design, May Include iPhone 16 SE, iPhone 16 Plus SE Models

iPhone 16 series is expected to debut later this year like most iPhone releases, with leaks and rumours about the upcoming lineup already making the rounds on the Web. In a new update, the schematics, specifications and possible pricing of the iPhone 16 series have surfaced online. The image offers a brief look at the possible rear design of the upcoming handsets and suggests a major design overhaul with a vertical camera layout. The lineup is tipped to include iPhone 16 SE, iPhone 16 Plus SE, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max models.

Schematics shared by tipster Majin Bu (@MajinBuOfficial) indicate that the iPhone 16 series will comprise five distinct models — iPhone 16 SE, iPhone 16 Plus SE, iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. This suggests the merger of the iPhone SE product line into the iPhone 16 portfolio.

The renders show a single pill-shaped rear camera layout for the iPhone 16 SE and iPhone 16 Plus SE with an offset flash., reminiscent of the iPhone X. The vanilla iPhone 16 is seen with a dual rear camera unit. In contrast, the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are seen with triple rear camera setups. All three models appear to have a vertical camera arrangement with pill-shaped camera bumps seemingly corroborating previous leaks. The current iPhone 15 series features a square-shaped camera bump with horizontally placed sensors.

The tipster has also posted possible pricing of the iPhone 16 series as a comment on X. The iPhone 16 SE is tipped to cost $699 (roughly Rs. 58,000) for the 128GB version, while the iPhone 6 SE Plus could be priced at $799 (roughly Rs. 66,000) for the 256GB variant. The 256GB version of the vanilla iPhone 16 could come with a price tag of $699, while the 256GB variant of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are said to be priced at $999 (roughly Rs. 83,000) and $1099 (roughly Rs. 91,000), respectively.

The iPhone 16 SE is said to feature a 6.1-inch display with a 90Hz refresh rate. The iPhone 16 Plus SE is likely to get a 6.7-inch display with 60Hz display. Both these models are said to get the Dynamic Island feature. The regular iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro models are rumoured to get 6.3-inch screens with 120Hz refresh rate, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max is tipped to pack a larger 6.9-inch screen with 120Hz refresh rate.

The iPhone 16 series is expected to go official in September this year. Apple is anticipated to pack an A18 Pro Bionic chip based on a 3nm process on the Pro models, while the regular iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus could run on a toned-down version of the A17 Pro chip.

Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Tablet Shipments Grew 21 Percent in India in Q4 2023; Apple Leads Market With iPad 10, iPad 9 Models: Report

The Indian tablet market witnessed growth on a quarter-on-quarter basis in the last quarter of 2023. CyberMedia Research (CMR) in their Tablet PC Market Report Review for Q4 2023 noted that the tablet shipments for Q4 2023 grew, driven by a strong demand for 5G tablets. Tablets with only Wi-Fi connectivity also performed well in the quarter, seeing a quarterly rise in shipments as well as accounting for a majority of the market share. Some of the leading tablet brands as per the report were Apple, Lenovo and Samsung.

As per the CMR report, in Q4 2023 the total tablet shipments in India grew 21 percent on a quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) basis. Shipments for 5G network-supported tablets increased 43 percent on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, while tablets supporting only Wi-Fi connectivity rose 13 percent YoY, the latter accounting for 52 percent of overall shipments. The report added that shipments for the premium tablet segment, i.e. models ranging from Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 30,000, saw a 95 percent jump QoQ, showing a shift of the market towards high-end devices. 

Apple retained its lead market share wise with 25 percent, the report claimed. This was boosted by the growing demand for the company’s iPad 10 and iPad 9 series models, according to the report. Lenovo claimed the close second spot with a 24 percent market share, with the Lenovo Tab M10 and Lenovo Tab M9 being the company’s lead models in India in the past quarter, the report noted.

Trailing behind Apple and Lenovo, South Korean tech giant Samsung grabbed the third spot in tablet shipments in Q4 2023 with a 19 percent market share. The most popular models from the brand were the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite and Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, according to the report.

For the calendar year 2023, the tablet market in India witnessed a 14 percent YoY decline in shipments, as per the report. However, 5G tablet shipments grew 48 percent YoY in the calendar year. The report also noted that although there was an overall decline in tablet shipments, the growth of 5G tablet shipments suggests a potential shift in consumer preferences within the tablet market.

In the forecast for 2024, the report said that the Indian tablet market will see a steady 5-10 percent growth driven by technological advancements, diverse product offerings, and evolving consumer preferences.

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Apple Vision Pro Said to Take Up to Four Generations to Reach ‘Ideal Form’

Apple Vision Pro — the company’s first mixed reality headset that went on sale in the US this month — has quite a few bugs for a first-generation Apple product, but could eventually replace the iPad, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The company’s wearable ‘spatial computer’ that costs $3,500 (roughly Rs. 2.9 lakh) is currently available in the US and offers support for both augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) content and with over 600 apps available when the headset was launched.

People in the Vision Products Group — involved in the development of the headset — think that it could take Apple up to four generations until the Vision Pro is at its “ideal form”, Gurman writes in the latest edition of his weekly Power On newsletter, while pointing out that this was also the case for Apple’s early smartphones, tablets, and smartwatch models.

Gurman notes in his review of Apple’s Vision Pro headset that the visionOS operating system is buggy and feels like it is “a beta version and about a year away from feeling refined enough for consumers to use on a day-to-day basis.” He also states that the Vision Pro could eventually replace Apple’s iPad and allow users to perform the same tasks that they can on the tablet.

One of the teething issues that could affect early adopters of the Apple Vision Pro is related to the device’s authentication system. If a user forgets their Vision Pro passcode, they will need to bring the headset into an Apple Store in order to reset it, according to a Bloomberg report.

Software support for the Vision Pro will also need to increase considerably, before it is considered a viable alternative to the iPad. At the moment, there are no official apps for Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube for the Vision Pro. It’s worth noting that YouTube recently made a U-turn and said an official app is in the works, soon after Juno, a third-party app for the headset arrived on the App Store.   

A recent report suggested that the Vision Pro would be launched in China by May, with a different name. While the mixed reality headset is called the Vision Pro in the US, rival Huawei owns the trademark for the same name in China, according to the report. The first batch of sales for the headset in China will reportedly be “relatively tight”.

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