We've heard all sorts of rumours about the iPhone 14, covering everything from the camera (apparently it's getting better) to the battery life (apparently it's getting better). But perhaps the most persistent rumour has involved the notch – or lack thereof.
The iPhone 14 Pro is said to be nixing the notch in favour of a 'pill + hole' design containing the front camera and FaceID tech. But if new leaked display panels are the real deal, the effect on screen real estate might not be as dramatic as we'd hoped. (Don't fancy waiting? Check out the best iPhone 13 Pro deals available now.)
The new camera cutout doesn't look much smaller than the notch(Image credit: @SaranByte on Twitter)
Alleged front glass panels for the entire iPhone 14 line up have emerged on Chinese social media website Weibo, as spotted by MacRumors. While the standard 14 looks very similar to the 13 (except, of course, for the fact that it looks like there's no mini this time around), the 14 Pro looks quite different. But not as different as I'd hoped.
Earlier renders imagined a smaller – and higher – cutout(Image credit: Angelo Libero)
The notch has long been considered a blight on the supposedly all-screen display of the iPhone since it appeared on the iPhone X in 2017. But while many were hoping the new pill design would free up plenty of precious pixels, it looks much larger than we expected here. Indeed, it's pretty much the same width as the notch on the iPhone 13. And it sits even lower on the display, arguably eating into more viewing area.
Still, while it might not be the revolutionary design change we were hoping for, there's still plenty to look forward to with the iPhone 14. Rumour has it we're in for a massively enhanced camera zoom, as well as the highest storage ever included in an iPhone. For every leak in one place, check out our roundup of iPhone 14 rumours. And if you want the best iPhone experience available right now, take a look at today's best iPhone 13 deals below.
Apple announced back in February that it's introducing changes that would make AirTags easier to find after several stories of bad actors using the tracker to stalk people came out. One of the upcoming changes it promised is adjusting the sound AirTags emit to be as loud as possible to make them "more easily findable." Now, as MacRumors reports, the tech giant has started rolling out that capability with the device's latest firmware update.
While Apple has published release notes to reveal what the update adds to the tracker, it didn't mention that the company is gradually making the feature available on a staggered basis. According to the publication, only one percent of users received the update when it went out on Tuesday, but it will be delivered to 10 percent of users by May 3rd and to 25 percent by May 9th. Apple expects to complete the rollout by May 13th.
Earlier this April, Motherboard had obtained police data that included 50 cases of women receiving notifications or hearing alert sounds revealing that someone was tracking them with an AirTag. While that's not a particularly large number, it suggests a growing number of cases wherein the trackers are being used for stalking purposes. In an effort to prevent the device from a creepy character's tool of choice, Apple promised a handful of anti-stalking features that include showing people a warning that it's a crime to use the device to track people. The company will also update newer iPhones' precision finding technology to make them capable of displaying the direction and distance to an unknown AirTag.
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Epic and Google are gearing up for another legal battle. You might recall that Google has an in-app billing crackdown coming to the Play Store soon. The new rules require all apps selling digital goods to use Google Play Billing by March 31, so Google gets a cut of the sales. Any app in non-compliance has been unable to ship updates since March 31, but the real deadline is June 1, when these apps will be removed from the Play Store. Epic Games bought the popular independent music site Bandcamp in March, and it's already taking Google to court over its newest acquisition. Bandcamp isn't in compliance with the billing rules, so it's due for a ban in June. As part of its antitrust case against Google, Epic is filing a motion for a preliminary injunction to block Bandcamp's de-listing from the Play Store.
Epic has attacked Google and Apple over their app store rules and what Epic says are excessive fees. In March, there were a lot of questions surrounding why the creator of Fortnite and the Unreal Engine would buy an independent music site. One line of commentary from Music Business Worldwide founder Tim Ingham seems to have nailed Epic's strategy. Ingham notes that Epic failed to get Apple to reduce its 30 percent app store cut, in part because the alternative model Epic could demonstrate to the court, the Epic Games Store and its 12 percent fee, wasn't profitable. Apple's lawyers argued the unprofitability of Epic's Games Store justified Apple's 30 percent fees.
Bandcamp is a profitable digital content business, though. Bandcamp has a searchable content store, and it hosts and delivers the content by charging artists a 10 to 15 percent commission. Ingham predicted Epic would hold up Bandcamp's business model as a viable alternative to Apple and Google's app store fees, and that Epic would use its new acquisition to attack app store owners. It looks like we're seeing the first actions of that plan.
Bandcamp says its business is incompatible with Google Play Billing
Epic's court filing argues that "Google has a monopoly over Android app distribution, and uses its monopoly power to illegally tie its payment product—Google Play Billing—to its app distribution product—Google Play." Bandcamp is used as an example of what harm this billing system will cause, arguing that Bandcamp's business model is mostly incompatible with Google Play Billing.
Epic raises several issues with Google's billing system. First, that Bandcamp's payment system is "custom-built to maximize efficiency and minimize costs, allowing artists to be paid within 24 to 48 hours of a sale." Google Play takes 15 to 45 days to pay out, and Bandcamp's speedy system is meant to help independent artists pay monthly bills on time.
Second, Epic says Bandcamp's ability to give artists 82 percent of revenue would be harmed if Google takes a 30 percent cut. Epic also notes that Google offered the company a sweetheart deal of 10 percent commission after Epic complained. Google keeps offering huge companies special discounts on its Play Store fees. Spotify has another special arrangement that allows it to run its own payments system alongside Google Play. Epic turned down the 10 percent deal, too, saying Bandcamp currently has a 7 percent profit margin on its 13 percent cut, so it can't afford it.
One of the more interesting complaints is that Google Play Billing just isn't compatible with the type of store Bandcamp runs. The first is that Bandcamp is a mix of digital and physical content. That makes sense for a music company—you can buy a digital download, a physical CD or vinyl record, and some band merch like a T-shirt, all in one store. Google Play Billing, which was meant for in-app purchases, isn't built for this and doesn't support physical sales. Bandcamp would have to support two different payment systems, and it would have to run two checkout systems. Bandcamp's second compatibility issue is that it's an open marketplace, with thousands of artists selling goods. Google Play supports paying a single developer entity, not playing middle-man to thousands of sellers.
On Bandcamp's blog, CEO Ethan Diamond said, "If Google’s policy changes stand, beginning on June 1st, we would have to either pass Google’s fees on to consumers (making Android a less attractive platform for music fans), pass fees on to artists (which we would never do), permanently run our Android business at a loss, or turn off digital sales in the Android app." Removing purchases due to Google's new billing rules is the option Amazon and Barnes & Noble took earlier this month. Poor Barnes & Noble is also an Android manufacturer, and now it can't sell digital books on its own hardware!
Epic's antitrust case against Google is set for April 2023, while non-compliant apps will get booted off the Play Store in a month. We'll be on the lookout for more developments.
4:18 pm ET update: Google sent a statement:
This is yet another meritless claim by Epic, which is now using its newly acquired app Bandcamp to continue its effort to avoid paying for the value that Google Play provides. We’ve been transparent about Play’s Payment policy for more than 18 months and, as Epic knows, Bandcamp is eligible for a service fee of just 10% through Play’s Media Experience Program—far less than the fees they charge on their own platforms. Despite their claims, Android’s openness means that Bandcamp has multiple ways of distributing their app to Android users, including through other app stores, directly to users via their website or as a consumption-only app as they do on iOS.
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Sony will no longer let users stack subscription memberships to PlayStation Plus or PlayStation Now, a policy shift blatantly preventing PS5 users from scoring long-term discounts on the revamped PlayStation Plus service.
The new PS Plus, now broken into three tiers—Essential, Extra, and Plus—essentially combines PlayStation Now and the soon-to-be-former PlayStation Plus. As a reminder, PS Now is a streaming service that gives users access to hundreds of games made for current and former console generations, while the current PS Plus gives users access to online multiplayer games, discounts, and a few free games each month. Both of those services will be retired on June 13 and combined into the new PS Plus.
Previously, PlayStation users could “stack” PS Now and PS Plus subscriptions by purchasing multiple (say, if there was a discount) and activating them all at once or one after another. With this newly instated hold, PS Now and PS Plus subscribers are unable to redeem voucher codes that had been sitting dormant until either their current membership ends or the new PS Plus service becomes available in their region—whichever happens first.
“As we prepare to launch the new PlayStation Plus membership service, we are doing some work behind the scenes to make the transition as smooth as possible for all of our existing members,” Sony wrote in a blog. “As part of this work, we’ve temporarily disabled stacking memberships for existing customers until after the launch.”
If you have a voucher code and aren’t currently subscribed to either service or if your membership runs out before the new one, then you can still redeem it. If you have an active PS Plus membership when the new version launches, you’ll be placed into PS Plus Essential, the lowest tier of the new service. If you have an active PS Now account, you’ll migrate to PS Plus Premium, the highest tier.
Here is where the fine print matters: if you weren’t already an active member, a PS Plus voucher redeemed after the new version arrives will net you PS Now Essential access for the length of time denoted on your original voucher (12 months=12 months). The same goes for PS Now but with PS Plus Premium. If you were an existing PS Plus or PS Now customer, any unredeemed voucher will convert to a length of time equivalent to the monetary value of the voucher you are redeeming.
Image: Sony
What does that conversion look like? Sony published a table showing how much of each new tier an old PS Now or PS Plus subscription gets you. As a taster, a 1-month (previous-gen) PS Plus voucher gets you a full month of PS Plus Essential or 21 days of PS Plus Extra or 17 days of PS Plus Premium.
Those who already redeemed codes and are subscribed to both services are in luck; Sony clarified earlier this week that it will honor whichever subscription remains active the longest. So, for example, if you have a PS Now subscription expiring in one month and a PS Plus subscription expiring in three years, you will get PS Plus Premium access until 2025.
This is the exact loophole Sony is plugging by preventing users from stacking subscriptions, then migrating to the new service to enjoy the additional perks without paying the price difference. As a reminder, the PS Plus Premium service costs $17.99 a month and gets all the benefits of the original PS Plus plan, plus access to more than 400 PS4 and PS5 games and 340 additional titles from previous Sony consoles via cloud streaming.
It’s becoming a fundamental law of the internet: where people socialize, they must also shop. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and practically every other social network and messaging app on the planet has spent the last couple of years trying to make every pixel of your chats and pictures into a one-click purchasing possibility.
Snap’s plans on this front are more ambitious than most. It’s trying to take the whole shopping experience — you see a shirt you like on a stranger, figure out what it is and where to buy it, try it on, buy it, wear it, return it because everything looks better on Ryan Reynolds than you, rinse and repeat — and funnel it through Snap’s AR camera. Through Camera Kit, most of that tech can also work within brands’ websites and retailer apps. And there’s always — always — a buy button.
That’s a lot to do, but Snap’s moving quickly. The company announced on Thursday at its annual Creator Summit that it’s expanding its AR try-on features that let users use their cameras to virtually try on glasses and clothes, and it’s also creating an in-app hub called Dress Up that it hopes could be something like the future of the shopping mall.
Dress Up isn’t meant to feel like just a catalog of stuff to buy, though it certainly is that. Snap hopes it can be a little more fun and experiential than your average Amazon page. “It’s not just a product-feed shopping tab,” Carolina Navas, Snap’s head of AR strategy and product marketing, said in an interview. “Now, there’s a really core utilitarian use case that we’re also focused on driving,” because obviously getting to buy things is how everybody gets paid, “but there’s also a huge area of fashion that’s all about self-expression and asking friends for advice and having fun with friends.”
When you open the Dress Up hub and pick an item, you’ll be able to try it on through Snap’s AR lenses but also take a picture of how it looks on you and share it with friends to get their thoughts. Dress Up will also have creator content, as well as tips and ideas from brands, all changing based on what you like, how you use the platform, and even where you’re located. And everything everywhere can be bought in just a tap or two.
AR shopping as a concept can seem sort of hokey — how many times do you really need to AR a couch into your living room to see if it fits? — but Snap says it’s starting to catch on. More than 250 million users have used AR shopping lenses a total of more than 5 billion times, and Snap says its data shows those lenses convert a much higher percentage of possible buyers than a normal ad. And Navas said the appeal goes back to the idea that shopping is more than just purchasing. “A lot of people think about the shopping funnel as ending at the purchase,” she said, “but that is the beginning of the customer experience for a brand or retailer who is selling a product.” She pointed to one company, Too Faced cosmetics, that lets users scan their new eyeshadow palette with the Snapchat camera to get a tutorial on how to use it.
The big challenge for Snap will be to grow its catalog to bring all the things people can buy into those AR experiences. So far, that has required a lot of specialized work building three-dimensional digital versions of everything you make, but Snap’s trying to make it easier. It announced a new technology called Snap AR Image Processing, which is exactly what it sounds like: it uses machine learning to take regular product photos and turn them into 3D models. The tech comes from Forma, a virtual-try-on company Snap quietly acquired to improve its try-on experiences. All users need to do is take a full-body selfie, and they can try on almost anything.
Snap has been working on the tech for about 18 months, Navas said, and has been testing it with a few brands before rolling it out to more businesses this year. “The actual process to build an AR lens has gone from an 8–12 week experience to minutes.” The tech is new but impressive, she said, and, when combined with user-inputted information about height and weight and whether that shirt that fit in AR actually fits in real life, can get better fast.
Snap, like every other platform trying to embrace in-app shopping, has to be careful not to let the buying experience overrun everything else. Snapchat users might like to shop their friends and favorite celebrities’ looks, but they’re going to like every photo they send being hidden behind a hundred buttons telling you where to buy their eye shadow, necklace, and the plant behind them. Navas said that’s part of the reason Snap made Dress Up its own tab, rather than needlessly integrating the feature everywhere else.
But she’s also pretty confident people like to shop. A lot. “We’re meeting people where their mindset isn’t just, ‘I’m coming to this tab to buy a pair of Prada sunglasses.’ It’s, ‘I’m coming here to explore and have fun and discover products along the way.’”
The recent quarter’s $97 billion in revenue ranks as Apple’s third-best showing in history.
Photo: Getty Images/Getty Images
AppleInc. cautioned Thursday that the resurgence of Covid-19 in China threatens to hinder sales by as much as $8 billion in the current quarter—a setback after seeing supply-chain improvements during the first three months of the year.
The guidance from the iPhone maker came Thursday shortly after the company posted one of the best quarters in its 46-year history. The whipsaw of news sent the company’s stock on a jolting ride in aftermarket trading—first rising 2%, then falling more than 5%.
Many investors had expected a blowout January-through-March quarter and were more attuned to any indications from Chief Executive Tim Cook on his view of the future amid high inflation, pandemic lockdowns in China and the war in Ukraine.
“I want to acknowledge the challenges we are seeing from supply-chain disruptions driven by both Covid and silicon shortages to the devastation from the war in Ukraine,” Mr. Cook told investors. “We are not immune to these challenges.”
The new pain points for the Cupertino, Calif.-based company come as areas around Shanghai, where Apple has many suppliers, face government lockdowns aimed at curbing Covid-19 infections.
“Supply constraints caused by Covid-related disruptions and industrywide silicon shortages are impacting our ability to meet customer demand for our products,” Luca Maestri, Apple’s chief financial officer, said during a public conference call.
Mr. Maestri said the constraints will hurt revenue by $4 billion to $8 billion in the three months through June. The lockdowns are also expected to damp demand in China.
The challenges come after a blockbuster quarter. Apple’s revenue for the recent period rose 9% to $97.3 billion, far exceeding analyst expectations for $94 billion. Earnings per share rose to $1.52 from $1.40 a year earlier—beating estimates for $1.42 a share and setting a record for Apple’s fiscal second quarter.
The results reflected the company’s ability during that period to navigate supply-chain challenges that have been roiling the tech and auto industries, allowing the company to sell more iPhones than Wall Street expected. “The supply constraints were significantly lower than what we had experienced during the December quarter,” Mr. Cook said in an interview Thursday.
“Covid is difficult to predict,” Mr. Cook added during the conference call. He noted that “almost all of the affected final assembly factories have now restarted.”
Apple’s outlook added to a turbulent afternoon as investors worried about the overall economy. Amazon.comInc. shares dropped more than 10% after the e-commerce giant posted its first quarterly loss since 2015 on slowing sales growth.
Apple’s results were in line with guidance from January, when the company predicted a record for the March period, though growing at a slower rate compared with the previous quarter—which included the Christmas holiday—when the company marked all-time revenue and profit highs thanks to the latest iPhones, Mac computers and iPad tablets.
The $97 billion quarter ranks as Apple’s third-best in history by total revenue, but one of its slowest for growth since the pandemic began more than two years ago. The company has seen double-digit year-over-year growth each quarter since the launch of the first iPhone with 5G capabilities in October 2020.
Daniel Morgan, a senior portfolio manager who focuses on technology at Synovus Trust Co., which counts Apple among its largest holdings, called supply-chain concerns, Covid-19 and inflation “the Street’s biggest worries” about the current quarter. Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi echoed that sentiment in a note this week, predicting solid quarterly results and asking: “But then what?”
In January, Mr. Cook had said he expected the effects of supply-chain challenges to improve in the March period compared with the final three months of 2021, when Apple estimated it lost out on more than $6 billion in sales because of inventory constraints.
But his optimism came before the pandemic flared again in Asia and war erupted in Europe. Apple suppliers in China have been hit this month by stringent government lockdowns aimed at containing the spread of Covid-19. Loup Funds estimates that 85% of Apple’s products are assembled in China while the region accounts for almost 20% of the company’s annual sales.
In January, Mr. Maestri cautioned the March quarter would face an unusual year-earlier comparison. iPhone sales were more robust than normal in the 2021 comparable period because pandemic-related delays disrupted the typical fall launch and pushed back those sales. Overall sales a year earlier rose 54%.
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Sales of the iPhone rose 5% to $50.6 billion in the past quarter compared with a year earlier. Analysts had expected 1% growth. The company no longer discloses unit sales for the smartphone, which makes up about half of Apple’s annual revenue.
Those sales may have benefited from strong demand in China, where the latest iPhones have been resonating with consumers, analysts said. They have attributed some of an expected falloff in iPad sales to Apple giving priority to iPhone production during the period. Sales of the iPad dropped 2.1% to $7.6 billion. Mac computer sales rose 15% to $10.4 billion, far exceeding analysts expectations for flat results.
In Thursday’s interview, Mr. Cook said iPad’s results were hindered by “very significant supply constraints.”
Amid slowing device sales, digital content sales come back into focus. The so-called services segment, which includes iTunes and the App Store, grew 17% to $19.8 billion in the three months through March. Analysts had expected 17% growth.
Apple's upcoming iPhone 14 Pro models are widely rumored to feature new displays with a pill-shaped cutout and a hole for the Face ID sensors and front camera, respectively, and now a real-world look at this design has seemingly surfaced.
Front glass panels for all four iPhone 14 models have allegedly surfaced on Chinese social media website Weibo, as shared on Twitter by @SaranByte and reported by 9to5Mac. The panels reveal not only the rumored pill-and-hole design for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, but also slightly thinner bezels and a taller aspect ratio for those models.
As expected, the image also shows that the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max models will retain the same notch as iPhone 13 models.
While it is unclear if the image is legitimate, the front glass panels line up with all rumors that we have heard about iPhone 14 models so far, and similar leaks have occurred in the past. Last year, for example, MacRumors exclusively shared an image of front glass panels for all iPhone 13 models that proved to be accurate.
iPhone 14 front panels have leaked on Weibo - here are the changes to note:
1) thinner bezels on the Pro models, as reported by other sources
2) aspect ratio is also slightly different on the Pros (19.5:9 to 20:9); this corroborates with 9to5Mac’s report regarding taller displays pic.twitter.com/UtqNcBB9aP — Saran (@SaranByte) April 28, 2022
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Last week, we compared the Apple Studio Display to the much cheaper and feature rich Samsung M8 Display, and the comparison was popular with MacRumors readers, so we thought we'd pit the Studio Display against yet another competing option, Dell's UltraSharp 27-inch "U2723QE" 4K USB-C Hub Monitor. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Priced at $655 on sale, Dell's...
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A vital iPhone, iPad, and MacBook feature is set to come to the Apple Watch this year as part of watchOS 9, according to a recent report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. watchOS 9, the next major version of the Apple Watch's operating system, will reportedly introduce Low Power Mode. Low Power Mode will allegedly be distinct from the existing Power Reserve mode on the Apple Watch. Power Reserve ...
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Android 13 Beta 1 is here, and while it's chock-full of new features and improvements coming to all devices later this year, it's also tailor-made for Pixels. Based on some code found in today's update, Google's latest smartphones are getting a fancy new audio feature that could help it compete against Apple's recent efforts.
As spotted by Esper.io's Mishaal Rahman, Beta 1 ships with a spatializer effect in tow, ready for the Pixel 6 Pro. Rahman also found a shared library file for spatial audio in the "soundfx" folder included in today's update. Both of these discoveries seem to confirm spatial audio support coming to Google's newest devices, possibly with the arrival of Android 13 later this year.
It's just the latest noise surrounding Google and spatial audio. A year ago, we heard our first rumors about upcoming Pixel Buds that could potentially support the feature, giving all of your favorite songs some added immersion. In March, a new report summarized all of the company's recent audio-related acquisitions, all of which seem to point towards some sort of advanced audio hardware.
It's not completely clear whether this upgrade would require certain headphones — like, say, that rumored Pixel Buds revision — or if it'll work with any gear you have laying around. This isn't the first time the Pixel 6 has received a major audio upgrade post-launch, either. Adaptive Sound arrived just a couple of weeks after the phones hit store shelves.
Although today's Android 13 beta might not bring spatial audio support just yet, there are plenty of other features worth checking out. If you're curious, enrolling in Google's beta program takes just a few steps.
Will has been an Android enthusiast since he got his first smartphone in 2011. He loves watching movies, has a never-ending backlog of video games, and produces podcasts in his spare time. He lives in Buffalo, NY and is willing to give you chicken wing recommendations at any time. Just ask.
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The long-in-development Overwatch 2 finally went live with a PvP beta this afternoon. Soon after launch, the first Overwatch broke its previous record of total Twitch viewership in mere hours.
In honor of the sequel beta, several high-profile twitch streamers such as Lirik, Myth, and most notably, xQc streamed the first Overwatch. The game peaked at around 450,000 views today, and xQc's amassed over 150,000 views of Overwatch on his own.
Overwatch fans have been dying to see if they were selected for the Overwatch 2 PVP beta. The only way of accessing a beta key is to watch partnered streamers for a certain length of time while having their Blizzard battle.net account linked on Twitch. Lucky users can pick up a PC beta key only until May 17th.
In a tweet from Nathan Grayson of the Washington Post, sources have stated that Overwatch has suffered from Activision Blizzard’s aggressive demands for both a sequel and an esports league. The company’s well-reported workplace lawsuits haven’t helped either, and there have been several high-profile exits from the company in the past several years.
With over fifty million units sold in the original Overwatch, there is a whole lot riding on Blizzard for developing a worthy sequel. For years, fans of Overwatch had been seeing issues from delayed hero releases to seeing Jeff Kaplan, Overwatch’s original game director, leave the company entirely exactly one year ago.
It seems every Switch release is leaked in some way or form nowadays, and with this in mind, it's happened again (well, kind of...) - this time with Nintendo Switch Sports.
Although it's not due out until later this week, one lucky fan known as "i_can_hear_the_world" on Reddit, has taken to the Nintendo Switch subreddit to share their excitement about receiving the game early in the mail.
At the time of writing, the whole thread, which is currently at the top of the subreddit, has already generated more than 270 comments and 4.6K upvotes. In it, you can see pictures of the game case and Switch game card.
In addition to taking questions about the game on Reddit, the same individual has also posted footage on their YouTube channel SupaDaBloopa - sharing a video going through the six sports available at launch. It's about 50 minutes in length.
"Earlier, I posted photos of my early copy of Nintendo Switch Sports. Now here's the video. Check it before Nintendo takes it down."
"What's kraken dudes, this is SupaDaBloopa! I got insanely lucky and got Nintendo Switch Sports sent to me four days before its official release date. I feel like Nintendo is going to send out their little ninjas to kidnap me, but hey. C'est la vie, right? Enjoy this early look at Nintendo Switch Sports. If you have any questions regarding the game itself, comment below and I'll do my best to respond to all of you."
Obviously, as the game isn't officially out yet, there's no playable online multiplayer, so everything on display is local play. The game will also seemingly require a patch on release.
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Asus is no longer the only big laptop manufacturer doing funky touchpad things: Dell has thrown its Latitude business line into the mix. The new Latitude 9330 has a new “collaboration touchpad” that I’m having trouble seeing as anything other than the trackpad version of a Stream Deck. Simply put, there appears to be a row of LED buttons across the top of the touchpad that access controls for the microphone, camera, chat, and screen-sharing function.
Also of interest is that this laptop is the first 13-inch device of the Latitude 9000 series. The 9000 line, while generally outside of many consumers’ price ranges, is the high-end segment of the Latitude line known for being thin and feature-packed. Business customers looking for flagship functionality in as small of a chassis as they can find will now have an option in this space.
Elsewhere, this device has a 16:10 touchscreen with 2560 x 1600 resolution and a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio. The webcam has an automatic shutter and a hardware kill switch on the keyboard. You can configure the device with up to a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 and 32GB of RAM (LPDDR5) with a 50 Whr battery. It will be available in June 2022, with pricing to be announced. (I’ll spoil the surprise for you: it’s not going to be cheap.)
When Mirror debuted its fitness mirror in 2018, it was a unique, space-efficient take on at-home fitness. Since then, several competitors including NordicTrack and Echelon have launched their own versions. Today, another challenger has appeared in the form of the Fiture — a $1,495 interactive connected mirror that offers real-time form feedback, gestures, voice control, and the ability to build custom workouts.
I got the chance to check out the Fiture in person recently, and the device looks, well, like a mirror. It measures 43 inches long and, at 1.3 inches thick, is relatively slim. Aside from a plug in the back, speakers on the sides, and button controls, it looks like any other full-length mirror you’d buy at a furniture store.
Like the Mirror, the Fiture also has a hidden screen that’s reminiscent of AR displays. The main difference is that the Fiture’s motion sensor is in the lower half of the device. (It also comes with a magnetic camera cover for when you’re not in a workout.) Onscreen, you can view your stats, which moves are coming up, and a leaderboard. There’s no touchscreen here, however. According to Fiture CEO Maggie Lu, that was a deliberate choice to help avoid finger smudges.
Lu also told The Verge that the mirror’s smart motion sensors recognize more than 1,000 different movements across HIIT, strength, boxing, cardio, yoga, and dance. They’re also capable of counting reps, pace, sets, and time. Feedback also works a bit differently. In addition to tips to correct form, you’re also given credit based on how well you “time” the exercises according to the workout’s proper pace. For example, some workouts may prompt you to hold a position — like a squat — for a specified period of time.
Initially, I was skeptical. As the connected fitness market becomes increasingly crowded, it’s harder for newcomers to stand out. That said, I was pleasantly surprised at my in-person Fiture demo. While I didn’t get to take a full class, I did get to see the Fiture’s proprietary Motion Engine tech in action. It was able to accurately detect and count when I performed movements like squats and overhead presses. However, the most impressive part was the real-time feedback and gestures.
Gesture controls are notoriously finicky — often better in concept than execution. However, Fiture’s mirror was able to recognize when I raised my hand to take a class. And, while I tend to cringe at corny fitness motivation, I’ll admit that virtually high-fiving my instructor was kind of cool because it actually worked.
Another interesting twist was that, in addition to curated workouts, the Fiture lets you create your own workouts. While walking me through the Fiture app, Lu showed me how you can pick specific movements from the Fiture library. You can customize how long you do each movement as well as the number of reps based on your current fitness level, goals, and preferences. That’s a major departure from most connected fitness gadgets, which pride themselves in curating all of that for you. While that’s excellent for beginners, it can be annoying if you’re further along in your journey and want to take a stab at building your own programs.
Like other connected fitness devices, the Fiture also requires a monthly $39 membership. That said, a small perk is that you’re not locked into a 12-month commitment like you are with Mirror and Tonal. Lu said that’s so people can be flexible with their fitness needs, especially when it comes to injuries.
The Fiture is available starting today for $1,495 and comes in five colors: black, teal, blue, gold, and gray. For a limited time, first-time buyers can also get free in-home delivery and installation as well as accessories like resistance bands and heart rate monitors.
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