This week, we got a look at what the future holds for virtual workspaces from some ex-Magic Leap developers. You may need to upgrade to an iPhone 15 Pro or an M4 iPad Pro to take advantage of all the AI features of iOS 18.
The term ‘NPU’ has been tossed around a lot when talking about AI, but what exactly is it, and why should you care?
And finally, we look back at all the best gadgets of May and the top product stories of the week.
The problem with the term “spatial computer” is that most devices using the obtuse marketing term don’t actually look like computers. Yes, the Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest 3 meet the definition of “computer,” but most people still think of “PC” as a desktop or a laptop. So now there’s the Spacetop G1, an AR laptop, trying to kick both the desktop and VR markets for being too stuck in their ways. — Kyle Barr
Siri is dumb. It’s a sad fact, but the little assistant has long been a butt of jokes for its propensity to misunderstand even the most simple of requests. As Gizmodo predicted at the start of the year, Siri is getting an AI upgrade that hopefully makes it far less of a nincompoop. It’s part of a wave of new AI enhancements that should be announced for iPhones and iPads once WWDC 2024 rolls around on June 10. — Kyle Barr
There’s a CPU. There’s a GPU. In the past year, every tech company has been talking about “NPUs.” If you didn’t know the first two, you’re probably flummoxed about the third and why the tech industry is extolling the benefits of a neural processing unit. As you might have guessed, it’s all due to the ongoing hype cycle around AI. And yet, tech companies have been rather bad at explaining what these NPUs do or why you should care. — Kyle Barr
If it’s unclear by now, TV makers are trying to sell you on mini-LED. What about OLED? Well, it sure is nice. LG has its own G3 model, which we consider one of the best TVs you can buy right now. But those are expensive, both to make them and for consumers who buy them. So yes, mini-LED. It’s bright, and with extra quantum dot technology, it can present a great picture for significantly less than OLED. So, here comes the QNED 90 T, a refreshed QLED with an LG twist. Can the company come up with something as renowned as its organic light-emitting diode displays? — Kyle Barr
I have spent the past few weeks with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Motorola’s Razr+. These foldables were released in late 2023 and share the same $1000 price tag. However, the Razr+ is currently retailing at a discounted price of $700, and you’re likely also to find the Z Flip 5 on sale. We figured we’d revisit the two models for foldable-curious people who don’t want to spend full price. — Dua Rashid
Samsung is coming for the Apple Watch Ultra, or at least attempting to offer an equivalent for Android wielders. The Galaxy Watch 7 Ultra, as it’s referred to, has been loudly percolating in the rumor mill for the past week. It’s about time. Apple is already two generations into it. — Florence Ion
The PlayStation VR 2 headset may well be getting its fabled PC connection sometime this year, though you might need to pay for some extra hardware to make it compatible. A filing with the South Korean government for a PSVR2 “adapter” indicates we’ll see some sort of dongle or connector we’ll need to plug into our PCs before we can finally play our favorite PC VR game with the Sony-brand headset. — Kyle Barr
I have been an iPhone user for the past seven years. However, I recently spent a few weeks with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. I got serious FOMO after using OneUI 6.1 for just a short amount of time. It has brilliant gestures that make multitasking on a smartphone less of a chore.
With each new gesture I used for the first time, I immediately asked myself again and again, “Why isn’t this on iPhone?” There are loads of gestures that would be a hit on Apple’s flagship phone.
Here are just some of my favorite features from OneUI 6.1 that I’d love to see on iOS 18 on the next iPhone. — Dua Rashid
May was a loaded month with Apple and Google both releasing products. Project Astra was definitely the most interesting thing we saw at an otherwise boring Google I/O. Apple also dropped its latest iPad Pros with the all-new M4 chip and OLED displays, a 13-inch iPad Air for the first time, and the incredibly cool Apple Pencil Pro. — Dua Rashid