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Apple kicked off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on Tuesday, June 6 (Philippine time) with a keynote, announcing its latest software innovations, including new updates to iOS, iPadOS and macOS, among others.

That’s not all, however, with the California tech giant also unveiling a number of hardware products at the event, chief of which is the Vision Pro, its new mixed reality headset.

Here are the top announcements from the event:

Vision Pro

Apple’s long-rumored mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro, is finally here!

The new device features what the iPhone maker describes as “a revolutionary spatial computer that seamlessly blends digital content with the physical world”. It can create a fully 3D interface that you can control using your eyes, hands, and voice, immersing you in digital experiences that transform your physical space. In FaceTime calls, for instance, the people you’re talking to are displayed in life-size tiles, giving the impression you’re with them in-person.

The Vision Pro can also display passthrough video of your eyes through a feature called EyeSight. It uses the OLED display to show surrounding people whether you’re busy viewing something or can see them through the headset.

Under the hood, the Vision Pro is powered by a unique dual-chip design that combines the capabilities of the M2 chip with the new R1 chip. The former handles the computing power, while the latter processes the input of 12 cameras, five sensors, and six microphones in real time. Apple further touts that the R1 chip streams new images to the displays within 12 milliseconds, which is eight times faster than the blink of an eye.

For display, the headset sports a custom micro-OLED display system that boasts 23 million pixels, delivering ultra-high-resolution visuals and accurate colors. The three‑element lens also creates the feeling of a display that covers every part of your vision.

The Vision Pro also runs on visionOS, an all-new operating system that Apple says was built from the ground up. The software was, however, designed on the framework of iOS and iPadOS, allowing first-party apps to easily be ported over. Some unique features of visionOS include a Home screen that floats in view and apps that react to light and cast shadows.

The Vision Pro has a starting price of $3,499. It’ll be releasing sometime early next year, though it’ll only be available in Apple retail stores in the US.

15-inch MacBook Air

Apple is expanding its thin and light MacBook Air lineup with a 15-inch model, which is the largest to date. The new laptop is powered by last year’s M2 chip with an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, along with up to 24GB of memory and 2TB of storage. It also boasts up to 18 hours of battery life and features a six-speaker sound system.

The 15-inch Air is available for pre-order today for the starting price of $1,299, with it shipping next week.

M2 Ultra chips in new Macs

Apart from the Air, Apple is also updating two new Mac powerhouses with the M2 Ultra chip: the Mac Studio and Mac Pro. The M2 Ultra is a more powerful iteration of last year’s M1 Ultra, combining two M2 Max chips through Apple’s UltraFusion architecture with up to 2.5TB/s of bandwidth.

The M2 Ultra touts 20% faster CPU performance compared to its predecessor. Its 76-core GPU, meanwhile, is up to 30% faster. The 32-core Neural Engine also provides a 40% boost over the M1 Ultra. The new silicon is configurable with up to 192GB of unified memory and 800GB/s bandwidth.

Touting iOS 17

For software, Apple announced a host of new features coming to the iPhone with iOS 17.

The latest version of the operating system adds a new Airdrop feature called Namedrop, which allows you to seamlessly share your contact information with another person. The feature essentially saves you from having to dictate your contact details in-person. You simply have to bring your iPhones together, and you’ll get the option to share your number and email address.

What’s more, Apple is debuting Journal, a dedicated journaling app that lets you log your daily experiences. The app leverages the on-device machine learning to make personal suggestions around your activities and data, including your saved photos, your location and your workouts.

The update is also introducing Standby, which essentially lets you turn your iPhone into a deskside clock. The full-screen feature activates when you turn your iPhone to the side while it’s charging. It’ll display various information via widgets, such as time and notifications.

iPad OS 17

iPad is similarly getting some notable upgrades with iPadOS 17.

The new software features improved widget implementation, customizable Home screens, and the launch of new apps that were previously only available on iPhone, including the Health and Notes app.

Apple is also making the PDF experience on iPad better with the addition of Live Collaboration. When you’re collaborating with another iPadOS 17 user on a PDF document and you make edits, it’ll reflect immediately on the other device. iPadOS 17 also uses machine learning to identify fields in a PDF document so you can easily fill them out.

macOS Sonoma

Meanwhile, Apple’s latest macOS version, macOS Sonoma, brings interactive widgets from your mobile devices to your laptops and desktops.

The update also adds Game Mode, which when enabled tasks the Mac to prioritize CPU and GPU power to running games and limit distractions while you’re playing.

On top of these, there’s a new overlay feature for when you’re in a video call that cuts out the speaker and places them in a dynamic background. The feature works on popular video call apps like FaceTime, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and more.

WatchOS 10

For watchOS 10, Apple appears to be focusing on improvements to the user interface. That includes refreshing how you might interact with widgets and first-party apps on your watch. If you want to access widgets now, you can simply turn the Digital Crown and check on weather forecasts, for example. The information from your favorite widgets are displayed on a smart stack on your watch screen.

Apple TV

Apple is now letting you use FaceTime on a large display via the latest version of Apple TV.

You can simply set your iPhone or iPad in front of your TV and use Continuity Camera to have either of those devices double as your webcam. Center Stage then adjusts and keeps you within the frame while you enjoy your call. – Rappler.com

Vision Pro will start at $3,499.

CEO Tim Cook described it as “spatial computing” with the device controlled by your eyes, hands and voice.

“It’s the first Apple product you look through, not at,” Cook said.

Apple said that Vision Pro has a three-dimensional camera and microphone system to capture videos and pictures that can be viewed in 3D later. The company showed the feature being used by a parent at a child’s birthday celebration.

The Vision Pro has two hours of use with an external battery, which Apple said would reduce the weight on the user’s head. However, the device must be plugged into the wall or battery pack and there is no standalone use.

Meta’s top of the line Quest Pro mixed reality device, which blends virtual reality with a video feed of the real world, offers about two hours of battery life directly on the headset, without an external battery pack.

Shares of the iPhone maker rose 2% to hit a record high of $184.95 ahead of the launch but shares were flat to slightly lower after the announcement.

Apple’s human interface chief Alan Dye said that users will select content inside the goggles with their eyes, tap their fingers together to click and gently flick to scroll.

The device also has an exterior display that shows the user’s eyes to people on the outside world. The exterior screen goes dark when a user is fully immersed in a virtual world. When a person approaches a user who is in full virtual mode, the headset will show both the user and the outside person to each other. “You’re never isolated from people around you,” Dye said. “You can see them, and they can see you.”

For work uses, Apple showed how the headset can be used with a trackpad and keyboard to work like a traditional computer with multiple displays.

Apple said that the headset uses a new chip called R1, which is designed to process information from its sensors in less time than the blink of an eye.

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Apple says it has been working with Adobe and Microsoft to put their apps on the new headset, as well as Unity, a technology company that works with game developers.

Walt Disney’s Disney+ streaming service will be available on day one on the device. Disney has partnered with Apple for years. Disney CEO Bob Iger took the stage in 2005 to announce that some of its most popular television shows would be available for download through the iTunes Music Store.

Apple did not make any major announcements about generative AI products similar to ChatGPT or Google’s Bard search engine, but it quietly imbued several smaller features with AI, like live transcriptions of voice mails.

The headset launch will see Apple test a market crowded with devices that have yet to gain traction with consumers and put it in direct competition with Facebook-owner Meta Platforms.

Investors and tech fans alike are focused on how much Apple’s view of the virtual reality market overlaps with Meta’s. Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has outlined his vision for using headsets to dip in and out of a “metaverse” where people can meet virtually to work, play and spend.

In addition to Meta, Sony Group Corp and ByteDance-owned Pico both recently released virtual reality devices.

Research firm IDC said companies sold a total of 8.8 million headsets last year, down 20.9% from 2021. In the first quarter of 2023, sales more than halved. – Rappler.com

Priced starting at $499, the device will be 40% thinner than the company’s previous headset and feature color mixed reality, which combines augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) elements, Zuckerberg said in an Instagram post ahead of Meta’s annual gaming conference.

Meta also said it would lower the prices of its existing Quest 2 headsets, while adding performance upgrades to those devices aimed at delivering a smoother user experience.

The Quest 3 will have a new Qualcomm chipset with twice the graphics performance as the Quest 2, Zuckerberg said. He said the device would launch in the autumn and promised more details at the company’s annual AR/VR conference on September 27.

Zuckerberg’s announcement came less than a week before tech rival Apple was expected to unveil its first mixed reality device, a high-end product with a price point around $3,000, according to a Bloomberg report.

Meta’s Quest 2 and Quest Pro devices comprised nearly 80% of the 8.8 million virtual reality headsets sold in 2022, according to an estimate by market research firm IDC.

Far behind in second place at 10% market share was the Pico device by Chinese-owned ByteDance, which also owns social media competitor TikTok.

Still, despite its dominance, Meta has struggled to sell its vision of an immersive “metaverse” of interconnected virtual worlds and expand the market for its devices beyond the niche of the gaming community.

The company classified eight of the 10 most popular apps on its Quest store as being in the gaming category, according to a Reuters count.

After a burst of interest during the pandemic, headset sales tumbled in the first quarter of this year, with the overall AR/VR headset market declining 54.4% year over year.

Revenue from Meta’s Reality Labs segments, which includes headset sales, declined 50% in the most recent quarter compared to the year prior.

That puts Meta well behind on a trajectory once imagined for the unit. One Meta executive predicted in 2018 that the company’s metaverse would reach 100 million hardware units within a decade, half of which would be Meta devices.

“Between now and the end of the year, there will be a slowness,” said Jitesh Ubrani, a research manager who tracks the virtual reality market at IDC. “VR to date has been largely built around gaming. And I think gaming will still remain the dominant use case even going forward.”

Even in the gaming market Meta is threatened by Sony, which dominates the console market with the PS5. Sony released its own second-generation headset dedicated to games, the PS VR2, in February and has significant developer support.

Meta appeared to be leaning into that market for now by pairing its Quest 3 announcement with its annual gaming showcase, where the company teased new ways users could slay vampires and outwit evil robots in upcoming releases.

In March, Meta cut the prices of most of its existing Quest headsets in hopes of stirring demand, after raising the price of its entry-level Quest 2 128 GB version in July 2022.

Its high-end Meta Quest Pro now retails for about $1,000, down from a launch price of $1,500, and the Quest 2’s 256 GB version now starts at about $430, down from $500.

The company said on Thursday that it would lower the Quest 2 prices once again starting June 4, with the entry-level device dropping back to its original price tag of $300 and the 256-GB version falling to $350.

To engage a more mass audience, Zuckerberg in recent years has made overtures to the fitness world, posting videos of himself using Meta devices while fencing with Olympic medalists and trading punches with mixed martial arts fighters.

He won a battle with US antitrust regulators to acquire the app developer behind VR fitness app Supernatural. During the trial, government lawyers showed evidence that Meta executives had identified fitness as a way to expand VR use beyond its existing fan base of mostly young male gamers.

Zuckerberg also built out productivity tools to market the Quest headsets as virtual offices, including a partnership with Microsoft to bring apps like Teams and Outlook to the devices. – Rappler.com

That’s what 22-year-old Stanford University computer science student Bryan Chiang was wondering earlier this year.

So, he grabbed an augmented reality eyepiece and his laptop and recruited a few friends to code what he calls RizzGPT.

The eyepiece – a monocle designed by Brilliant Labs that is open-sourced so its firmware can be experimented with – features a camera, a microphone and an internal projector screen where words are displayed in front of the user’s eye.

When someone talks to the user, RizzGPT monitors the conversation through the microphone, transforms it to text, and sends it via WiFi to OpenAI’s artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT to generate a response. That response then appears after a short delay on the small monocle screen.

“RizzGPT basically uses AI to provide you charisma on demand, and so it listens to your current ongoing conversation, and it tells you exactly what to say next,” said Chiang.

In a demonstration, Reuters asked Chiang: “What do you see as your biggest weakness?”

“I believe my biggest weakness is that I can be too hard on myself sometimes. I’m always striving to do my best and sometimes I can burn myself out,” Chiang read from the monocle after about five seconds.

The delay and the response is not yet very natural – or charismatic. But it is strictly a prototype, intended to show what may be possible with the technology, Chiang said.

“It’s been a while since how we interact computers has changed,” he said. “You’re seeing the convergence of 5G connectivity, AR glasses, the hardware, the intelligence coming together to basically create a new way of interacting with these systems, a new operating system in which it’s much more natural.”

The goal was not to replace natural human conversation entirely, he said.

“It’s merely meant as this sort of assistive aid to help you think about things that you might have forgotten… I think in that role it could be incredibly helpful for people who struggle with social anxiety and have difficulties, you know, talking to others.” – Rappler.com

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MANILA, Philippines – Sony at its recent PlayStation Showcase for 2023 announced a new handheld gaming device project it was working on, which would allow prospective gamers to stream their PS5 games to the handheld for remote play.

Sony teased the new hardware, currently internally known as Project Q, as a “dedicated device that enables you to stream any game from your PS5 console using Remote Play over Wi-Fi,” according to Sony PlayStation boss Jim Ryan.

Project Q will feature an 8-inch screen and sport a standard DualSense controller setup. According to a Sony press release, this means, “All of the buttons and features of the DualSense wireless controller, including adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, are featured on the device.”

Additionally, one caveat of Project Q is that it’s a companion device to a PS5, as streaming games to it requires a PS5 with a stable WiFi connection, and a PlayStation Network account.

As the fine print on Sony’s press release states, “Device requires broadband internet Wi-Fi with at least 5Mbps for use. For a better play experience, a high-speed connection of at least 15Mbps is recommended. The quality and connectivity of your play experience may vary depending on your network environment. A PlayStation 5 console and a PlayStation Network account are required.” – Rappler.com

Here are the key specs, features, and prices in the Philippines. 

ASUS Lumina OLED Display

The 2023 Zenbook laptops all feature the Lumina OLED Display, which ASUS touts has improved contrast ratio, and black levels, a fast response time, and 70% blue light reduction for eye protection. 

Zenbook S 13 OLED (UX5304)

ASUS claims it’s the world’s slimmest OLED ultraportable, weighing 1 kilogram, and with a body width of 1 centimeter. It’s 30% slimmer than the previous model, and is also said to be ASUS’ most eco-friendly Zenbook so far, with a claimed carbon footprint reduction of 50% compared to previous models. 

It comes in Basalt Gray color with a starting price of P79,995. It will be available with up to Intel Core i7 processor,16 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of storage.

Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (UP3404)

The laptop features a 360-degree hinge that allows for 4 configurations: laptop, tent, stand, or tablet. It also comes with an ASUS Pen 2.0 for those requiring the precision needed for certain applications. 

It comes in a Ponder Blue color, and it will be available with a starting price of P74,995. It will be available with up to an Intel Core i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of storage.

Zenbook Pro 14 OLED (UX6404)

The Pro 14 OLED is geared towards content creators and creative professionals. It comes with the latest Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU for handling rendering, photo or video editing, and multitasking. 

One unique feature is ASUS DialPad technology, which appears as a visual digital dial on the mousepad, allowing for control of photo editing, and other creative software functions. It comes with a dedicated MUX switch as well, which lets users switch between an integrated GPU for less demanding and less power-intensive graphics work, and the discrete GPU for more demanding applications.

The laptop comes in Tech Black color for P139,995. It will be available with an Intel Core i9 processor, 32 GB of RAM, and 1 TB of storage. – Rappler.com

Its key features include a 90Hz display smoother than standard 60Hz screens, a large 5,000 mAh battery with 33W fast charging that OPPO says powers the phone from 0 to 100% in 72 minutes, and has 5G capability.

Its camera array includes a 50MP main shooter, a 2MP depth sensing camera to assist with focusing and producing a bokeh effect, and an 8MP selfie camera. Software camera features include night time photography improvements, and a selfie “retouching” feature. It also touts its dual stereo speakers system, which one might not always find in phones in this price range.

For the exterior, OPPO touts its “Glow” design, which goes for a smooth and shiny look, and is claimed to be fingerprint-proof, and scratch resistant. It’s designed to be slim as well, for a better grip, and is available in two colors, Glowing Purple and Glowing Black.

Powering the device is MediaTek Dimensity 700, a 7-nanometer chip, 8 GB of RAM, and 128GB of memory.

The A78 5G competes with the Realme 10 Pro 5G, and POCO X5 5G, which both retail for P14,999 as well, and the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G at P12,990.

Among these, the 10 Pro 5G, based on specs, has the advantage, with a smoother 120Hz display, bigger 256GB storage, and higher megapixel cameras (108MP main, 16 MP selfie shooter). The POCO X5 also has a 120Hz display, and has the more versatile camera array with its ultra wide lens and macro lens in addition to its main one. The cheaper Samsung Galaxy A14 5G has the same processor found in the OPPO A78 5G, doesn’t have any form of fast charging, but does gain an extra macro lens. – Rappler.com

Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei’s consumer arm, spent almost an hour presenting Huawei’s self-developed XMAGE camera, now on the flagship after Leica moved its partnership to rival phonemaker Xiaomi Corp last year, at a Chinese language-only event in Shanghai.

Huawei, also a major supplier of equipment used in 5G telecommunications networks, has been the target of successive rounds of US export controls since 2019.

Those controls cut off Huawei’s supply of chips from US companies and its access to US technology tools to design its own chips and have them manufactured by partners.

The various actions have largely hobbled Huawei’s handset business, which commanded 42% of the China market in 2019, but was not among the top five sellers in China in 2022, according to data from consultancy Canalys.

The company’s former budget unit Honor claimed 18% of the market last year, with 30% annual growth, Canalys said.

Huawei sold Honor to a consortium of over 30 agents and dealers to keep it alive in late 2019.

Huawei also launched the more premium P60 Pro and foldable Mate X3, with prices starting at 6,988 yuan and 12,999 yuan respectively.

The smartphones will use Huawei’s home-built Harmony operating system.

US sanctions banned Alphabet Inc’s Google from providing technical support to new Huawei phone models and access to Google Mobile Services, the bundle of developer services upon which most Android apps are based. – Rappler.com

The MUA – named after the sound people commonly make when blowing a kiss – also captures and replays sound and warms up slightly during kissing, making the experience more authentic, said Beijing-based Siweifushe.

Users can even download kissing data submitted via an accompanying app by other users.

The idea was borne out of China’s frequent, lengthy and widespread lockdown measures during the three-year COVID-19 pandemic that, at their most severe, saw authorities forbid residents to leave their apartments for months on end.

“I was in a relationship back then, but I couldn’t meet my girlfriend due to lockdowns,” said inventor Zhao Jianbo.

Then a student at the Beijing Film Academy, he focused his graduate project on the lack of physical intimacy in video calls. He later set up Siweifushe which released MUA, its first product, on January 22 priced around 260 yuan ($38).

In the two weeks after its release, the firm sold over 3,000 kissing machines and received about 20,000 orders, he said.

The MUA resembles a mobile stand with realistic pursed lips protruding from the front. To use it, lovers must download an app onto their smartphones and pair their kissing machines, which they plug into the phone charging port. They activate the device using the app, then when they kiss it, it kisses back.

The device is available in several colours though with the same unisex lips. It has received mixed reviews, with some users saying it was intriguing whereas others said it made them feel uncomfortable. Among the top complaints was its lack of tongue.

Some commentators on social media site Weibo also expressed concern that the device could be used for online erotic content, which is strictly regulated in China.

Zhao said his company complies with regulations, but that “there’s little we can do as for how people use the device.”

MUA is not the first remote kissing device. Researchers at Tokyo’s University of Electro-Communications invented a “kiss transmission machine” in 2011, and Malaysia’s Imagineering Institute made a similar gadget called the “Kissinger” in 2016. – Rappler.com

In case you’re in the market for a new daily driver, here are our picks of the best smartphones released in 2023 so far:

Best klutz-proof smartphone – Honor X9a 5G

Are you the type to drop your smartphone a lot? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. That’s likely why Honor made the display on the X9a incredibly durable. While no smartphone is truly unbreakable – and, of course, it’s still best to avoid dropping it as much as possible – the X9a’s panel features reinforced glass up front, minimizing the chances of cracks or breaks. The former Huawei sub-brand touts the panel can withstand over 900 megapascals of pressure. It’s so tough that it could survive five-foot drops without leaving a single scratch.

The Honor X9a 5G, priced at P16,990, is available now.

Best on-the-go smartphone – Realme GT3 (240w)

Those who live a fast, on-the-go lifestyle probably don’t have time to sit in one place and wait an hour or so for your smartphone to charge. If that’s the case, the Realme GT3 is just the smartphone for you.

The GT3 features a whopping 240W charging speed, making it the fastest-charging smartphone in the market today. It can top up the smartphone’s pack from zero to full in a little under ten minutes – that’s insane. The Chinese smartphone giant also put safeguards in place, allowing the battery to last several years before the total capacity goes down.

Realme announced at MWC 2023 that the GT3 is launching globally, but it has yet to share local pricing and release details.

Best smartphone for those who love taking photos – Xiaomi 13 Pro

Xiaomi has teamed up with German camera maker Leica on the Xiaomi 13 Pro. The device features triple 50MP lenses, with the one-inch Sony IMX989 as the main sensor – almost the same setup on last year’s impressive Xiaomi 12S Ultra. But this release’s lenses are tuned in collaboration with Leica, enabling them to capture photos with the brand’s signature flourish in color and detail. The camera app also includes two Leica photographic styles: Leica Vivid and the Leica Authentic.

The Xiaomi 13 Pro is available now for the starting price of P41,990.

Best smartphone to show off – Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

If you love to show off your smartphone, there’s perhaps no better choice than the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. You get a massive 6.8-inch display, an ultra-fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, and a 200MP primary camera. It also ships with an S-Pen, allowing you to write or draw on your smartphone’s panel. It’s the ultimate Android flagship that fans of the software might put up against Apple’s best releases. The only catch is that it also comes with a hefty price tag.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is available now for the starting price of P81,990.

Best smartphone to gawk at – Oppo Reno8 T 5G

Let’s face it, innovation and creativity in smartphone design has significantly slowed compared to, say, a decade ago. That, however, doesn’t mean brands have stopped trying as a whole. Oppo’s Reno8 T 5G, for example, is a looker, featuring an elegant curved edge display and a shimmery gradient back. The rear camera array is also pretty unique, opting for large and conspicuous lenses. If you’re after an eye-catching smartphone, this is definitely a strong choice.

The Oppo Reno8 T 5G, priced at P23,999, is available now. – Rappler.com