This was a big year for personal computing. Some devices impressed the public with their advanced hardware or style, while others brought some of the biggest macro-trends in technology to people’s wrists, faces and pockets. The results were a plethora of artificial intelligence features, better spatial audio and more immersive experiences.
From a crowded field of personal gadgets that offer more speed and futuristic utility in increasingly sophisticated fashion, here’s what landed on WWD Weekend‘s radar in 2023.
APPLE
iPhone 15 Pro: RIP lightning — Apple finally pulled the plug on its proprietary port and joined the rest of the mobile and consumer electronics world by bringing USB-C to its iPhone. Of course, there’s more to this new titanium model than that: The device is zippier, lasts longer with more battery life and somehow crams in a 48-megapixel camera, complete with larger sensors and a magnified 5x telephoto zoom. Even with a customizable new action button, it still manages to fit all that into a lighter, yet durable package.
This is clearly the best iPhone that Apple has made to date and it has room to evolve. The A17 processor’s neural engine was built for tasks like image and audio recognition, as well as language processing. The iPhone 15 Pro will test its mettle even before that, as it’s also the first Apple smartphone capable of capturing spatial video, an immersive form that changes perspective as the viewer moves. In other words, this is the smartphone Apple built for its Vision Pro mixed reality headset. Anyone acquiring the latter will want to seriously consider the former.
New AirPods Pro 2: What’s spatial video without spatial audio? Apple knows that realistic, directional sound is key to immersive experiences, which is why it has been developing 3D audio across its earbud and headphone portfolio.
When it comes to Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro, there’s potential for confusion, because there are two versions of these premium in-ear earbuds and both support spatial audio. The crucial difference between the 2022 edition and the recently launched model is that the latter supports lossless audio for the Vision Pro, with ultra-low latency and less interference. Even in regular usage, the buds still offer an improvement, thanks to better noise cancellation, and like the entire iPhone lineup, the battery case features USB-C in addition to wireless charging.
Apple Watch S9/Ultra 2: iPhone owners in search of the ultimate smartwatch have an obvious choice in the Apple Watch, and the Ultra 2 stands out from the latest arrivals as the most powerful model. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only option or even the best one, considering its debut alongside the Apple Watch Series 9 this fall.
They share a number of similarities — including the S9 SiP processor, the latest Ultra Wideband chip, an always-on Retina display and IP6X dust resistance, among others — but were designed for different types of users. The Ultra 2 was built for adventurers — its titanium encasement doubles the water resistance to 100 meters and can even withstand recreational dives up to 40 meters. Unlike the Series 9, it comes with a customizable action button and offers more precise GPS, a brighter display, fuller sound across two speakers (instead of one) and more battery life of 36 hours, which stretches to 72 hours in low-power mode.
However, style-minded consumers should also note that the Ultra 2 is a thicker, heavier device with a larger, flatter screen than the curved display of the Series 9, and for its $799 price, it only comes in natural titanium. The latter, at $399, offers a choice of aluminum or stainless steel in a range of colors, in addition to Nike and Hermés editions. In terms of everyday functionality, Apple’s most notable new trick is the one-handed double-tap gesture, which works well on both devices.
META
Meta Quest 3: When Meta unveiled the Quest Pro in October 2022, VR fans were up in arms over the hefty $1,500 price tag. Little did anyone know that Apple would eventually introduce its own $3,500 face gear. But a year later, Meta is selling the device for a third less, while its latest Quest 3 gives it a little competition.
The Quest 3 costs half as much, but matches the pro-level device across some key areas and beats it in others. Both work as virtual and mixed reality devices, with full-color passthrough to view the real world, and rely on the same hardware lenses and software app catalog. But the Q3’s newer and more powerful processor makes it faster, and its display boasts nearly a third more pixels, a higher refresh rate (120 Hz versus 90 Hz) and a field of view that’s a tad roomier.
The QPro’s winning aspects lie in the nuances. It’s slimmer with a more open design and balanced weight, allowing for more comfort, and its sensors for eye- and face-tracking enable facial expressions in chats. It also comes with a charging dock and better controllers, which make up some of the cost. The pricing and extras undoubtedly earn the premium billing — and yet, in terms of performance and visual quality, the more affordable Quest 3 could give it a run for its money.
Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses: These might be the smart glasses that validate this category: Style — check. Photo, video and audio quality — check. Simple photo syncing, easy sharing and attractive charging case — check, check and check. These are all crucial aspects, because the blunt, unvarnished truth is that no one really needs this tech. The challenge then is to make people want it. And so far, no one has pulled it off, including Meta and EssilorLuxottica.
The new ultra-wide camera bumps the megapixels up from 5 to 12, and videos at 1080p can record up to 60 seconds at 30 FPS or livestream to Facebook and Instagram. With three more mics, totaling five now, call quality won’t torture friends, and the wee speakers add bass and volume, plus spatial audio.
Two styles, Ray-Ban’s classic Wayfarer or an attractive new option called Headliner, come in a range of lenses and frame color options — including translucent — with sunglass, transition or prescription lenses. LensCrafters, a Luxottica optical chain, offers replacement prescription lenses.
SAMSUNG
Galaxy S23 Ultra: Samsung released the S23 Ultra at the top of 2023, which feels like ages ago … because in mobile technology terms, it is. But this sizable device still casts a long, glossy shadow as this year’s leading Android smartphone.
In some ways, it is a gentle giant, with subtle tweaks to its physical lines sitting nicely in the hand. In other ways, the 6.8-inch phone is a monster, with a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy and a camera system with telephoto at 3x and 10x on an ultrawide camera capable of 200 megapixels — even if it does have the occasional color or HDR disaster, and the so-called “Space Zoom” can make a mess.
The S23 Ultra also includes support for 8K video capture, deep levels of settings to fiddle with, a winning S-Pen for the stylus-inclined, the inexplicable decision to foist two app stores on users with Google Play and Samsung’s own store and battery life that’s a bit better than its predecessor, even with an always-on display, but not by that much. Naturally, the company’s custom OneUI 6 interface governs the phone, which helps with one-handed operation on a big screen, but it still grapples with issues like layout quirks and memory hogging.
The biggest downside of this device is that its next generation is due in a mere few months. But that’s also a benefit, as deals for a fraction of the original $1,200 price can be had now.
Galaxy Z Fold5: The merits of Samsung’s Fold series will only appeal to certain types of power users — those looking for a tablet experience in a pocketable footprint of a smartphone. Of course, there’s a literal wrinkle there or, rather, a crease running the center of the screen. This is the physical reality of the foldable smartphone market, as users of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 can attest.
However, fans of the Fold5 can’t seem to live without the extra screen real estate and the crease is hardly noticeable when the device is open and in use. It’s an unusual device at a 6:5 ratio when fully open, with multiple AMOLED screens and orientations. However, this can be a huge plus for reading or visually oriented tasks, and it’s constructed well, performs admirably, looks sharp and offers a 50 megapixel camera and 12 GB of memory.
Galaxy Watch6 Classic: Samsung was one of the first tech makers to embrace the smartwatch, and its latest Watch6 is among those leading the way for Android wearables, particularly among Galaxy smartphone owners looking for tight integration between their phone and wrist gadget.
The device has a faster processor and bigger battery encased in a sleeker stainless steel body, with a tough, sapphire screen and thinner bezels across both of the 43mm and 47mm sizes. Fans of rotating bezels will find joy in spinning the mechanical, ridged hardware, and the tactility extends to the satisfying side buttons with customizable options.
Those features could have made for a clumsy design, especially on narrow wrists easily overwhelmed by big watches. Fortunately, the Watch6 tilts more toward simplicity, giving it a chameleon effect — the clean, elegant design, available in black or silver, acts as a canvas for the vibrant AMOLED screen. So depending on the watchface, it could easily read as a tactical watch or an elegant dress watch.
As for the software, Wear OS runs the show with an overlay of the OneUI 5 interface. The experience should feel familiar to previous Galaxy Watch owners, and newcomers will likely find it intuitive to use. However, during WWD’s testing period, some of the actual readings for sleep metrics and steps differed a bit from other tracking devices used simultaneously during the testing period. But with its overall performance, speed, features and hardware, the Watch6 validated the Galaxy brand’s enduring popularity in smartwatches.
Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra: Sitting atop a trio of tablets, the Tab S9 Ultra is the largest model at 14.6 inches. It’s a heightened level of Samsung tablet tech, and it likely debuted this year to take on top-tier rivals like the iPad Pro.
The device offers a widescreen AMOLED 2X display, at 2,960 by 1,848 pixels, that’s brilliant and crisp with an onscreen fingerprint scanner and two selfie cameras. They aren’t great at capturing photos, but work fine for Zoom calls. In fact, that’s why the better cameras are in the front, while 8 megapixel cameras sit in the back. Audio comes through loud and clear via four speakers that support Dolby Atmos.
All of that fits in a casing 0.21 inches deep yet sturdy. In fact, the Tab S9 Ultra, with an IP68 rating, is both waterproof and dust proof. Too bad it’s not crash proof, given the potential awkwardness of its unusual dimensions. Then again, it may spend more time at a desk, because it was clearly built for productivity. The S-Pen suggests that, but multitasking with up to three apps on screen at once makes it abundantly clear. Samsung’s Dex software seals the deal. It enables the tablet to act more like a computer, with desktop, application windows and more, including mouse and keyboard support. It can even power a monitor via USB-C or wirelessly connect to a Roku TV.
Pixel 8 Pro: Google poured stardust on its latest top-of-the-line Pixel smartphone — and by “stardust,” we mean artificial intelligence.
Consumers may not be able to see the standout aspects of the 6.7-inch Pixel 8 Pro, but they can appreciate the new Tensor G3 chipset and on-board generative AI capabilities through astounding new camera tricks, a smarter Google Assistant, faster and more accurate transcriptions, enhanced calls and more.
The headliner here is the AI-assisted photography, which makes the most out of pics snapped with the 50 megapixel camera array. Users can move subjects around, swap backgrounds and erase unwanted parts of the image — and then impressively filling in the blanks, as if they were never there. A futuristic new feature called Best Take ensures the best group photos possible by snapping multiple shots, then switching in each person’s best facial expression into one picture. That’s just for starters.
The new powers Google bestows on Android consumers are either thrilling or unsettling, depending on the point of view, but there’s no doubt that the newest flagship smartphone is the company’s most advanced to date. In fact, under its matte glass and peeping out of its brightest display yet, this device may just feel like holding a slice of the future.
Pixel Fold: The other notable new Pixel this year is the Pixel Fold, the tech giant’s first foldable.
The reality of this device is that, as a phone, it works well, but just can’t compete with the Pixel 8 Pro. The AI-powered sibling beats the Fold in practically every spec that matters, except for one — screen real estate. That’s important, because all that space opens up split-screen multitasking, a coveted feature for productivity hunters. The better comparison then is the Galaxy Z Fold5, Samsung’s passport-style foldable phone.
Here, the edge goes to the Z Fold5 as well, with its superior specs and performance, from photo capture to display brightness. But once again, there’s one aspect of the Pixel Fold that wins, and that’s its physical dimensions. The Z Fold5, which is slim and tall when closed, is a bit awkward to hold, while the Google foldable is noticeably shorter, wider and thinner. Ultimately, it’s a choice between performance and comfort. But anyone looking for a combo phone and mini tablet, one that stands up on its own for viewing video or taking selfies, should be pleased with the options.
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December 03, 2023 at 04:08AM
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Big Tech's Big Gadgets of 2023 – WWD - WWD
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