Tag Pro

Talk of AR glasses and the first names that come to mind are Apple Visions Pro and Meta Quest 3. Priced exorbitantly, given their early stage of development, a lesser-priced alternative is bound to attract attention. That’s exactly what the $699 XREAL Air 2 Ultra is with a shipping date slated sometime in March 2024 for early adopters.

The wearable accessories are a cross between AR glasses and smart spectacles, making them highly practical for real-life situations. At the ongoing event, we got a chance to experience the Air 2 Ultra with its directional audio technology and were impressed by the experience. Also, we resonated well with the vision of bringing augmented reality (AR) to everyone. No doubt they won our “Best of CES 2024” award at the mega event!

Designer: XREAL

These new fashion-forward glasses are lighter at 72 grams compared to the 80 grams of the earlier version. The display like the Air 2 is 1080p at a refresh rate of 120Hz and 500 nits brightness. A worthy upgrade comes in the form of 52 degrees FOV and the 42 pixels per degree which is even better than the Apple Vision Pro. It has also been improved to get an additional pair of cameras on each side for six degrees of freedom and positional tracking. This enables interaction with both hands for a surreal experience and applications like 3D mesh creation and future-proof AI capabilities.

Talking of the mixed reality experiences that developers can create, the company has laid much focus on the spatial computing aspect. To that accord, the Air 2 Ultra comes with a suite of tools for developers like the Nebula, an in-house developed AR environment launcher and the latest SDK. Given their smaller size, comfortable form factor and new in-frame sensors; the developers will be more than eager to put that hardware to use for unique mixed-reality applications.

XREAL has also proactively partnered with Qualcomm Technologies, BMW Group, NIO, Quintar, and Forma Vision to create niche spatial computing interfaces. These come in the form of navigation instructions, hazard warnings, holographic meetings, or entertainment content.

Almost all smartphone makers try to advertise their design-centric processes and products, but few actually live up to the expectations they set. Of those few, realme has had a track record of teaming up with big names in the industry to come out with a variety of designs that target different audiences, from youngsters to travelers to connoisseurs. This year, it seems that realme is aiming to tickle the fancy of watch lovers with a flagship that takes deep inspiration from these masterpieces of design and craftsmanship. Of, the realme 12 Pro isn’t just a pretty face and promises to also elevate your mobile photography with a new premium telephoto camera.

Designer: realme x Ollivier Savéo

In the past, smartphone telephoto cameras could only use digital tricks to get closer to a subject, but the development of periscope-style lenses finally enabled true optical zoom without bulking up the phone too much. With the realme 12 Pro, the brand is taking that to the next level with a combination of innovative elements and engineering to deliver a premium telephoto experience. In addition to a state-of-the-art periscope telephoto lens, the flagship phone utilizes the latest OmniVision OV64B, a 64MP 1/2-inch sensor that’s twice as large as your typical telephoto camera, including the one on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. These two pieces work together to provide not just 3x optical zoom but also 6x in-sensor (hybrid) zoom, getting you close and personal without the usual degradation associated with simple image cropping.

Of course, the realme 12 Pro’s main camera isn’t going to be left behind. With a 50MP Sony IMX890 1/1.56-inch sensor, the primary wide shooter promises rich details even at night. This is further enhanced by the MasterShot algorithm developed in collaboration with Qualcomm, enabling the phone to process RAW images directly, among other process-intensive capabilities. Along with the ultra-wide shooter, this camera system supports a wide range of lossless zoom levels, from 0.6x to 6x, similar to that of more expensive handsets.

Although the cameras are a focal point of the realme 12 Pro (pun intended, the phone’s design takes its cue from a different kind of luxury product. Teaming up with luxury watch designer Ollivier Savéo, the phone bears the aesthetic and tactile hallmarks of an elegant and premium timepiece. A fluted bezel wraps the circular camera island, giving the semblance of a classic watch face, while the vegan leather material that covers the phone’s back is akin to the leather straps of these luxurious accessories.

The realme 12 Pro takes this a step further with a 3D jubilee bracelet, similar to a metallic strap, that runs down the middle of the phone. With its three-dimensional rhomboid precision splicing, this minute detail adds a new texture and a touch of class to an already stylish phone. The realme 12 Pro is set to launch this month, with availability details and exact specs still to be disclosed.

Almost all smartphone makers try to advertise their design-centric processes and products, but few actually live up to the expectations they set. Of those few, realme has had a track record of teaming up with big names in the industry to come out with a variety of designs that target different audiences, from youngsters to travelers to connoisseurs. This year, it seems that realme is aiming to tickle the fancy of watch lovers with a flagship that takes deep inspiration from these masterpieces of design and craftsmanship. Of, the realme 12 Pro isn’t just a pretty face and promises to also elevate your mobile photography with a new premium telephoto camera.

Designer: realme x Ollivier Savéo

In the past, smartphone telephoto cameras could only use digital tricks to get closer to a subject, but the development of periscope-style lenses finally enabled true optical zoom without bulking up the phone too much. With the realme 12 Pro, the brand is taking that to the next level with a combination of innovative elements and engineering to deliver a premium telephoto experience. In addition to a state-of-the-art periscope telephoto lens, the flagship phone utilizes the latest OmniVision OV64B, a 64MP 1/2-inch sensor that’s twice as large as your typical telephoto camera, including the one on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. These two pieces work together to provide not just 3x optical zoom but also 6x in-sensor (hybrid) zoom, getting you close and personal without the usual degradation associated with simple image cropping.

Of course, the realme 12 Pro’s main camera isn’t going to be left behind. With a 50MP Sony IMX890 1/1.56-inch sensor, the primary wide shooter promises rich details even at night. This is further enhanced by the MasterShot algorithm developed in collaboration with Qualcomm, enabling the phone to process RAW images directly, among other process-intensive capabilities. Along with the ultra-wide shooter, this camera system supports a wide range of lossless zoom levels, from 0.6x to 6x, similar to that of more expensive handsets.

Although the cameras are a focal point of the realme 12 Pro (pun intended, the phone’s design takes its cue from a different kind of luxury product. Teaming up with luxury watch designer Ollivier Savéo, the phone bears the aesthetic and tactile hallmarks of an elegant and premium timepiece. A fluted bezel wraps the circular camera island, giving the semblance of a classic watch face, while the vegan leather material that covers the phone’s back is akin to the leather straps of these luxurious accessories.

The realme 12 Pro takes this a step further with a 3D jubilee bracelet, similar to a metallic strap, that runs down the middle of the phone. With its three-dimensional rhomboid precision splicing, this minute detail adds a new texture and a touch of class to an already stylish phone. The realme 12 Pro is set to launch this month, with availability details and exact specs still to be disclosed.

Apple iPhone already does some great things. Belkin believes there is a way it can add some prowess to the phone’s video and FaceTime capabilities. To that accord, the accessories manufacturer is bringing Belkin Stand Pro to CES 2024. This motorized dock for the iPhone 12 and upward is made to swivel 360 degrees and track users’ movement while the camera is on.

There have been numerous iterations of iPhone dock we have seen in our time. Right from the days docking stations played incredible music and now those that wirelessly charge the smartphone and render it with incredible utility: case in point, the rotating functionality the Belkin Stand Pro brings to the iPhone.

Designer: Belkin

The Belkin Stand Pro is offered with a cylindrical base that can rotate 360 degrees. From the base extends a MagSafe-equipped motorized arm which holds and charges the iPhone. The arm can extend 90 degrees, up and down, for more convenience.

The Stand Pro is essentially designed for tracking your movement, for instance, you are cooking in the kitchen and the iPhone playing the video recipe tutorial rotates wherever you go; picking spices, or walking to the fridge. When you don’t want the iPhone to track your movement, you can turn the tracking off from the onboard button. The LED indicator built-in indicates when the tracking is on or off.

The iPhone pairs to the Belkin dock with NFC and allows you to open apps including camera, FaceTime, Instagram, WhatsApp and more. Once the app’s working, the Stand Pro automatically rotates the docked iPhone to keep you in frame all the time using iPhone’s recognition technology without having to add additional third-party app. This makes the Belkin Stand Pro the first iPhone accessory to use Apple’s DockKit framework.

Priced at $179.99, the Belkin dock functions as a wireless charger with up to 15W fast wireless charging when plugged into a 30W USB-C charger. For filming away from the direct power port, the Stand Pro also features a battery that can do the task for up to five hours on a single charge.

Mixed reality is a huge thing these days, especially with Apple finally throwing in its bet with the Vision Pro. But even without VR, AR, and everything in between, we’ve become used to and even dependent on 3D content, from games to interfaces to even NFTs. Even with the help of AI (which is quite controversial), creating this type of content is no easy task, especially because our computer screens are only capable of displaying flat 2D images. Whether it’s for appreciating 3D content or actually creating it, we need a better way to see in 3D without having to wear inconvenient glasses, which is exactly what Acer’s SpatialLabs Stereoscopic 3D products are bringing to the table at CES 2024.

Designer: Acer

Most of us have probably experienced watching a film in “true” stereoscopic 3D and how convincing the effect can be. Of course, even the most advanced theater systems require you to wear specialized glasses to experience this, otherwise, you’ll only get disconcerting blurry images. That’s not exactly an ideal situation to be in, especially if you have to work for hours on crafting a 3D model. Thankfully, PC makers are developing technologies that can bring that same vision to desktops and laptops, and the new Acer Predator SpatialLabvs View Pro 27-inch 4K monitor is the latest tool to be added to creators’ arsenal.

Thanks to special cameras, this kind of monitor can follow the viewer’s eyes and instantly adjust its display, creating a stereoscopic 3D image without having to put anything on your face. The new Predator SpatialLabs View Pro improves the experience with a second virtual camera, rendering 3D content as intended by designers and developers. Acer’s Immerse Audio complements these visuals with spatial sound technology, leveraging AI-driven beamforming and head-tracking to create the effect of surround-sound audio without wearing headphones as well. While these features directly benefit 3D games, they’re also useful in helping designers and creators craft a more convincing stereoscopic 3D experience since they’re able to see and hear it directly for themselves.

For creators on the go, the Acer Aspire 35 15 SpatialLabs Edition offers a more portable version of this same stereoscopic 3D magic. In addition to viewing 3D content as they were intended to be seen, Acer’s SpatialLabs Go software can even transform flat 2D content into mind-blowing 3D images instantly, thanks to some AI help, of course. With up to an Intel Core i7-13620H processor and NVIDIA RTX 4050 laptop graphics, this portable workstation is built to serve the needs not just of gamers but also of professionals who need to take their 3D craftsmanship to the next level.

Whether it’s for leisure or for work, Acer’s latest line of SpatialLabs stereoscopic 3D products will bring those 3D objects to life without burdening your eyes and your head with unnecessary peripherals. The Acer Predator SpatialLabs View Pro 27 will be available in North America in the second quarter of 2024 with a starting price of $1,999, while the Acer Aspire 3D 15 SpatialLabs Edition will land in North America next month and will start at $1,399.99.

Some brands stick around whether the original meaning of the name no longer makes sense. Products associated with those brands still carry some expectation, whether it’s a certain flavor, a particular quality, or just some trait that’s passed like DNA from generation to generation. That’s definitely the case with the LG gram, the consumer electronics giant’s line of laptops initially boasting weights of less than a kilo. It didn’t really take long before physics and market dynamics pushed those laptops beyond the 1,000-gram mark, while still trying hard to maintain their thin and stylish bodies. Fortunately, the added weight also adds some value, as the new gram Pro laptop and 2-in-1 try to prove with a lot of power and some AI special sauce that’s quite the hot trend these days.

Designer: LG

To be fair, it’s difficult to keep a laptop impossibly slim while still packing enough power to handle everyday workloads, especially as work becomes more demanding and hardware gets stronger to keep up. Manufacturers are forced to choose between performance, which includes cooling systems, and design, and most tend to pick the former. In that context, it’s actually quite commendable that LG is able to stick to the spirit of its original gram design, even if none of the laptops today weigh less than a kilo.

The 2024 LG gram Pro line at least makes the weight worthwhile, at least for computer users who are heavily dependent on AI-powered tasks. These laptops are equipped with the latest Intel Boost, the chipmaker’s neural processing unit or NPU that can handle heavy AI workloads without depending on cloud-based services. This results in faster results and more privacy since everything happens on the device and can work without an Internet connection.

This year’s LG gram Pro generation still combines the best specs you can find in a laptop, including Intel’s Core Ultra processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics, a combo that will be killing it when it comes to creative digital work as well as games. This will make things quite hot, which could affect performance in the long run. A dual cooling system is LG’s answer to this problem and the fact that it could squeeze that solution into a thin laptop definitely deserves some praise.

In addition to the standard 16-inch and 17-inch LG gram Pro laptops, the line welcomes a new 16-inch LG gram Pro 2-in-1 that can fold over into a tablet, complete with a touch screen and wireless pen. Both models sport minimalist aesthetics that exude a character of elegance and style that belies the power they carry inside. That same design language is also available in non-Pro gram laptops that have smaller 14-inch and 15-inch options.

The year is almost over, but there’s plenty of time left to unveil new products, including new smartphones that could become gift ideas for people in some markets. We’ve seen quite a few make their way to the market a few days ago, but most of them revolve around “normal” phones for everyday use. Gaming phones, however, still make up a slice of that large pie, and one of the top brands in this market is taking out its big guns early. Former ZTE sub-brand nubia is reaching out to gamers with the latest RedMagic model, bearing a slightly new design that manages to keep key features that fans of the brand have grown fond of, whether they make sense or not.

Designer: nubia

What sets a gaming smartphone apart from regular smartphones, including those expensive ones, isn’t just their over-the-top performance. Most gaming-centric phones carry a certain aesthetic that really marks them for a certain crowd, one that appreciates a lot of RGB lighting, lines and geometric shapes, and other details that make the design look futuristic if not highly technical. The nubia RedMagic 9 Pro continues that tradition this year but makes a few tweaks that streamline the gamer design a little bit better.

Most notable is the relocation of the cameras from the middle of the phone to the side, something that’s almost a standard across all smartphone designs. The camera bump is also gone, with the lenses sitting flush against the entire back. That does mean that the phone is a little bit thicker than most of its kind, but a hefty and beefy handset is already expected for a device that’s designed to be a heavy-duty gaming machine. The rather odd design change is that only two of the three big circles are actually cameras, with the third deceptively hiding the cooling fan. The third camera is off to the side, though having a 2MP depth sensor makes it almost negligible.

The rest of the RedMagic 9 Pro has a similar vibe to its predecessor, with lines and shapes on the back that give the semblance of panels that cover futuristic machines like ships, robots, and similar. For those who prefer a more subtle appearance, the Sleek model has an aesthetic closer to the typical black smartphones, masking its identity for more discreet uses. The front still has an under-display camera, which means there’s nothing visually breaking the large screen.

There’s also still that miniature cooling fan, one of the brand’s gimmicks to help keep things cool and prevent the phone from throttling its performance. It may be effective to some degree, but the price that is paid is having no dust or water resistance guarantee. With a more efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and a newer “ICE 13 Multi-Dimensional” cooling system, such a fan might no longer be needed and is becoming more of a liability than a selling point in the long run.

It’s truly mind-blowing to see virtual objects floating before our eyes, but the magic and illusion start to break down once we try to manipulate those objects. Input has always been a tricky subject in mixed reality, either because we can’t see our actual hands or we can’t feel what we’re supposed to be touching, which is physically nothing. Until the perfect haptic feedback gloves become a reality, we have to make do with tricks and workarounds to make input less awkward and more convenient. That’s especially true with typing on air, and Apple is apparently using some special techniques to offer a more usable experience on the Vision Pro mixed reality headset.

Designer: Apple (via Brian Tong)

Apple’s first teaser for the Vision Pro headset and visionOS platform didn’t show typing of any sort. It focused, instead, on icons, windows, and menus, virtual 3D objects that are easier to interact with using hand gestures. Of course, sooner or later you will be faced with the need to input text, and the usual method of voice recognition won’t always cut it. visionOS, fortunately, does include a virtual floating keyboard like other VR systems, but the way you use it is quite special and, to some extent, ingenious.

For one, you can interact with the keyboard like you would any part of the Vision Pro’s interface, which is to look at the UI element to focus on it and then use hand gestures. In this case, pinching a letter is the equivalent of selecting it, just like what you’d do for menu items or icons in visionOS. It makes the gesture grammar consistent, but it’s also an awkward way to type.

You can also “peck” at the keys with your fingers, making you feel like you’re typing on air. The difference that the Vision Pro makes, however, is that it tricks your eyes into believing you’re actually pressing down on those keys. Thanks to Apple’s flavor of spatial computing, hovering your real-world finger on a virtual key makes that key glow, and tapping on it results in an animation that looks like the key is actually moving down, just like on a real keyboard. There’s also a haptic sound, similar to the clicking sound effect you’d normally hear on an iOS virtual keyboard, to complete that audiovisual illusion.

Of course, your fingers aren’t actually hitting anything physical, so there’s still a disconnect that will probably confuse your brain. The visual effect, which is really only possible thanks to spatial computing, is still an important step forward in helping our minds believe that there’s a “real” three-dimensional object, in this case, a keyboard, right in front of us. It’s not going to be the most efficient way to input text, but fortunately, you can connect a wireless keyboard to the Vision Pro and you’ll be able to see your actual hands typing away on it.

If you are looking for a stylish and versatile pair of ANC headphones, then Apple-owned Beats Studio Pro could be your choice. The cans go neck and neck with the Sony WH-1000XM5, and just edge over in design and ergonomic comfort. Even though the Studio Pro dives in the same waters as the AirPods Max, they don’t impede on the prospective buyer base of Apple’s headphones.

Released in July 2023, the cans have a new design profile as Apple has collaborated with streetwear brand Stussy for a limited-edition version of the Studio Pro. The Apple-owned label has joined forces with other big names like Olive & June and Kim Kardashian in the past for special edition versions of their products, and this one is yet another example.

Designer: Beats by Dre and Stussy

The design of this special edition Studio Pro is inspired by the 1990s culture of owning electronics. The warm beige color and deep blue hues along with the inline logo get its design cues from the urethane skateboard wheels. The sublime finish is reminiscent of the resin and fiberglass material used in surfboard manufacturing. The cans come with the same hardware as that in the stock Studio Pro – the 40mm driving unit and the signature acoustic performance. This is complemented well by the adaptive Active Noise Cancellation, transparency mode, spatial audio (with dynamic head tracking) and a battery life of 40 hours.

The Stussy Beats Studio Pro headphones are going to be up for grabs from the Stussy online store, select Dover Street Market locations and select Stussy chapter stores from December 15. Priced exactly as the stock Studio Pro’s available already at $350, the special edition headphones will surely be out of stock before one can blink an eye.

Sony just released the PlayStation 5 Slim to give gamers another reason for hitting the couch this winter season. The console is considerably smaller than the bigger brother released in November 2020. The question remains, is it the better version of the PS5 or do gamers deserve a better gaming console from Sony?

This is where the rumors of a PlayStation 5 Pro sound exciting, filling in the gap to the long lull before PS6 finally hits the shelves. Like the PS4 Pro, the PS5 Pro gaming console is destined to be a better version of the base PlayStation 5. So, what will the PS5 Pro be like set for a probable November 2024 launch? It’ll be more powerful, have more memory and have advanced hardware.

Designer: Seungjae Lee

This flamboyant concept gives our imagination wings of what PS5 Pro could bring to the competition. The main focus here is on the augmented reality and virtual reality aspects of modern games, and that’s where we’re headed in the future. Gear for such a gaming console requires VR headsets and accompanying controllers. The rear of the console houses the VR controllers and headsets and comes with wireless plug-and-play functionality.

To keep the wire-clutter of main cables routed to the console to a minimum, the bottom rear handles the organizing aspect. What’s most intriguing about this concept gaming console are the controllers. They can behave as knuckle controllers in conjunction with the VR headset for an immersive experience. When two are joined together, they behave as a normal controller of the current generation.

Not only the controllers, but the VR headset also has a hidden surprise on top. There are docked wireless earbuds that can be used for increased audio immersion. All-in-all, the PS5 Pro concept is designed for enhanced gaming experience in the Metaverse. To add spice to the customary PlayStation theme, Seungjae has designed the renders in peppy options including a camouflage skin.