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Apple iPad Pro (2022): Specs, Price, Release Date

Apple iPad Pro (2022): Specs, Price, Release Date

Apple tossed out a couple of surprise product announcements today. There are two brand new iPad Pro models coming next week, both beefed up with Apple’s M2 chip, USB-C ports, and support for new Apple Pencil features. The company also has a new 4K Apple TV model coming out in November.

Apple tends to introduce its products during big publicized events that are teased weeks in advance. But in this case, CEO Tim Cook simply teased the news shortly before the official announcement, tweeting out some colorful digital doodles along with the hashtag #TakeNote, which apparently refers to the Pencil’s newly enhanced writing capabilities.

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The two new models of the iPad Pro are functionally the same inside, except one boasts a 12.9-inch screen and the other’s screen is 11 inches. Both feature Apple’s new M2 chip. The 11-inch iPad Pro model starts at $799 and the 12.9-inch version starts at $1,099. Both of those prices are for the base Wi-Fi-only model; add another $200 to either for a 5G cellular connection. The new iPad Pro models are available to preorder now, and will be out October 26. Color options are Space Gray and Silver, which are apparently different shades.

Anyone who pairs a second-generation Apple Pencil with either of these new iPads will notice some new behaviors when scribbling on the tablet’s screen. A new hover mode allows the stylus to be detected by the iPad while it’s nearly a half inch (12 millimeters) away from the screen. It’s a mode aimed at digital artists, as it could be used to fine-tune brush control; when a Pencil is hovering above the screen, the iPad shows a dot where the tip will touch down, giving users a chance to better line up their strokes.

Apple has slowly adopted USB-C across its devices, and the new iPad Pro is the latest to come into the fold. All current iPad models now use a USB-C connector to charge and attach accessories. iPhones are the lone Lightning cable holdouts in Apple’s lineup, though that may be changing soon thanks to new regulations in the EU requiring all consumer mobile devices sold there to use USB-C ports.

As for the new Apple TV, buyers will get to pick between two options: a model with only a Wi-Fi connection, and one with Wi-Fi and an Ethernet port. The Wi-Fi only version comes with 64 GB of storage, while the Ethernet model gets 128 GB. Both models pump out 4K visuals and Dolby sound, and if your TV and soundbar don’t support those formats, you’ll get 1080p visuals and stereo sound. Both models use Apple’s A15 mobile chip, which is a generation older than the chips found in Apple’s newest iPhones.

Both Apple TV models are cheaper than the previous versions. The Wi-Fi model starts at $129 and the Ethernet-enabled model is $149. However, both models of the last iteration of Apple TVs included Ethernet connection, and now that feature is being limited to just the pricier box. The new Apple TVs can be ordered now and will be released November 4.

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Google’s Next-Gen Video Chat Tech Is Ready for the Real World

Google’s Next-Gen Video Chat Tech Is Ready for the Real World

Good news for anyone who’s sick of Zoom calls but also hates talking to people in real life: Google’s Project Starline is becoming more widely available.

Google introduced Starline in 2021 with the goal of making video calls less weird and awkward. It’s essentially a very complicated video conferencing booth that uses cameras, depth sensors, and three-dimensional imagery to approximate face-to-face conversations between two remote participants. A suite of cameras even track both participants’ eye movements and adjust the view on the other side to enable the two people to make eye contact. Our reporter tried it and found that it does a good job creating the sense that the other person is sitting across from you, making the resulting interactions feel very realistic. Others who have tried it say the same.

Image may contain Human Person Face and Smile

Video: Google

Google has been testing the setup internally and is now preparing to set up Starline booths in offices outside the company. Chances are you won’t be able to use Starline quite yet, unless you happen to work with one of the companies Google is partnering with in the US. (Salesforce, T-Mobile, and WeWork, to name a few.) It’s also not clear what Google plans to do with the tech. The company has positioned it as a way for long-distance relatives or coworkers to connect. Having a more lifelike interaction could help remote workers have less stilted conversations. Yes, you’re stuck in that Starline booth, but at least you don’t have to jump around with a headset on.

Here’s some more of this week’s news from the Gear desk.

iPhone Coasters

At its iPhone announcement event in September, Apple took several opportunities to scare the living daylights out of anyone who dares venture outside their home. Apple’s true goal was to highlight the emergency response features in its new iPhones and Apple Watches. One of those was crash detection, which can automatically call emergency services when the phone senses you’ve been in an auto collision. Apple says its hardware can detect the kinds of sudden stops and inversions that might occur in a wreck. Oh, but you know where else those movements might happen? On a roller coaster.

At theme parks around the US, iPhone users have reported going on twisty-turny roller coasters then discovering later that their phone has called the cops. In some cases, emergency responders have shown up on the scene for these false alarms. Critics have expressed concern that this could potentially tie up emergency phone lines and personnel. Apple has said the issue is not widespread and that the tech will improve over time.

Wish Upon a Polestar

The Swedish car company Polestar has announced a new electric vehicle. The Polestar 3 is an all-wheel drive SUV. The company says the 400-V battery gets up to 300 miles on a charge. Inside is a dashboard powered by an Nvidia computer that projects driving information onto the windshield like a head-up display.

It starts at $83,900, which is nearly twice as much as the debut price of the previous model, the Polestar 2. There isn’t an official release date for the Polestar 3, but the company says it plans to start selling the vehicles toward the end of 2023.

The Zuck Zone

Mark Zuckerberg has bet big on the metaverse. His company, Meta, has already pumped billions of dollars into the virtual realm, convinced that one day it will inevitably become mainstream. Thing is, that bet will take a long time to pay off. Meanwhile, Meta just announced a new $1,500 VR headset. The tech is cool, but there’s still no sign whatsoever that society at large is eager to strap on a face computer and hop into the virtual realm. (Never mind that the headset also uses inward-facing cameras to track the wearer’s eye movements and facial expressions, which raised privacy concerns—especially because it’s Meta on the other end.)

This week on our Gadget Lab podcast, WIRED editor-at-large Steven Levy, author of the book Facebook: The Inside Story, joins the show to discuss Meta’s VR ambitions and when—if ever—VR might finally take off.

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Everything Apple Announced: iPhone 14, Apple Watch Ultra, and More

Everything Apple Announced: iPhone 14, Apple Watch Ultra, and More

It’s September, so you know what that means: iPhone season. Today, Apple held an event at its Cupertino, California headquarters where it unveiled its annual updates to its mobile devices. There are four new iPhones 14, a more durable Apple Watch for adventure enthusiasts, and a new pair of AirPods Pro.

Here’s everything Apple announced.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro

Closeup of iPhone 14 Pro camera

iPhone 14 Pro costs $999, or $1,099 for the larger Pro Max.

Photograph: Apple

Did you like the idea of an iPhone Mini? Well, too bad. Apple has nixed its smallest phone in favor of a new iPhone 14 Plus, which sits a rung above the just-announced iPhone 14, but below the top-tier iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Like its Pro Max sibling, the 14 Plus has a 6.7-inch screen. The standard-size iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro have 6.1-inch displays.

Outside of this, most of the changes with this year’s iPhone lineup are coming to the Pro models. The infamous notch, for example, which housed the sensor components necessary for Face ID, has now slimmed down to a pill-shaped cutout in the same area, not unlike most modern Android phones. There’s now always-on display support, so you won’t have to tap your phone screen or pick it up to see notifications or the time of day.

The sensor notch can now show notifications. Apple calls it Dynamic Island.

Video: Apple

The Pro models are also the only handsets to use the brand-new A16 Bionic processor. It’s the first time that the standard non-Pro iPhones are sticking with a prior year’s chipset, but this is likely due to supply chain constraints and to keep costs low. The A15 Bionic in the iPhone 14 is still a super speedy chip, but you just won’t get the very best performance.

The primary camera on the Pros will finally move away from 12 megapixels and will utilize a 48-megapixel sensor (a common trait among most Android phones). More megapixels doesn’t necessarily mean better photos, but it will let you capture more detail, and you can print your photos at larger sizes without losing sharpness. The Pro iPhones can also film videos in 8K resolution. That’s certainly more Ks than you need, but it might be handy for cropping into your footage without losing image quality—especially since the screens in most of our homes aren’t big enough to showcase the benefit of 8K resolution.

iPhone 14 in various colors forming a halfcircle

iPhone 14 in all the new colors. The base-model 14 starts at $799.

Photograph: Apple

Sony Pumps Up PS5 Prices

Sony Pumps Up PS5 Prices

As if it wasn’t hard enough to buy a PlayStation 5, now they’re getting even more expensive. On Thursday, Sony announced that it plans to raise the price of its PS5 consoles in several countries. The increase doesn’t affect the US, but markets in Europe, Japan, China, Australia, Mexico, and Canada will see a price jump equivalent to roughly 50 euros per console.

In a statement explaining the hike, Sony blames the move on high inflation and “adverse currency trends.” Issues with the global supply chain have made PS5s notoriously difficult to come by since the console launched in November 2020. For a moment it seemed like Sony was getting close to being able to meet demand when it said it would increase production back in May of this year. But this recent price change makes it clear that there are still some holdups.

Following Sony’s announcement, both Microsoft and Nintendo said they would not be raising the prices of their consoles, the Xbox and the Switch.

If you’re still willing to pony up $400 for the digital-only version of the PS5—or $500 for the version with a disc drive—here’s some tips on how to snag one.

And now some more news from the consumer tech world:

Apple Is Going to Space

Apple’s next product announcement event will be on Wednesday, September 7. It will be a live show, coming from Apple’s Cupertino headquarters starting at 10 am PDT.

Apple likes to tease the themes of these events by dropping visual hints in the graphics that accompany its announcements, so take from this event’s “Far Out” title and starry background what you will. Maybe it’s a hint at some astrophotography features coming to the iPhone cameras to rival what’s already in Google Pixel phones. Maybe it’s a reference to the company’s spaceship campus. Or, you know, maybe Apple just thinks space is cool.

These annual September events are usually when Apple likes to announce new iPhones, so expect to see a few iterations of the iPhone 14. Another Apple Watch or two is possible, as rumors about an upcoming, slightly beefed up “rugged” version of the Watch have been swirling for months. Apple announced its lineup of new MacBooks at its WWDC event earlier this year, so chances are there won’t be anything new on the PC front this time.

There is some MacBook news, though, as the company recently widened its new repair program to include some Mac laptops. It only applies to M1 MacBooks, and it has already taken some criticism for its limited scope, much like the other products covered by Apple’s self-repair program.

Meta Reveals More About Its Next VR Headset

Meta’s next VR headset is coming this October, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. He announced the news on the controversial Joe Rogan Experience podcast—because of course he did. Rumors have pointed to the device being called the Quest Pro, a potentially pricey premium headset.

While no official specs have been released, Zuckerberg did tease a couple new features of the headset. Eye- and face-tracking tech is supposed to capture a person’s expressions and enable them to make eye contact in VR settings. This is all for the effort of building out Zuckerberg’s metaverse ambitions, where he envisions people interacting in VR on a regular basis. Hopefully, having tech that incorporates your actual expressions and emotions wil make you look less like Zuckerberg’s dead-eyed avatar.

Twitter Is Podcasts Now

Seems like it’s always a crazy time to be Twitter. On top of the ongoing Elon Musk drama, there’s the recent controversy that sparked when The Washington Post published a story about a whistleblower who accused Twitter of widespread security lapses. Still, Twitter is soldiering on like nothing happened, and this week it announced a new feature: podcasts.

On Thursday, Twitter posted on its blog that it has started incorporating podcast content into its audio-based Spaces feature. Twitter rolled out Spaces on the heels of Clubhouse’s popularity, and now it is expanding that audio category to include professionally produced sound bites. It will be a sort of hodgepodge of clips you can scroll through, with podcast chunks produced by outlets like NPR and Vox Media mixed in. Twitter says it’s testing the feature with some users now, but could expand to everyone soon.

Make Way for the IRA

The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act allocates $400 billion toward the pursuit of green energy tech in the US. That means tax credits, rebates, and incentives for people looking to make energy-efficient upgrades. Whether you want to get better home insulation, solar panels, or an electric vehicle, it’s possible you can use some of these credits to offset that cost. Only problem is, it’s all still just a teensy bit complicated.

This week on the Gadget Lab podcast, WIRED writers Aarian Marshall and Matt Simon parse through the Inflation Reduction Act and share tips on how you might be able to save some money on green energy tech.

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You Can Now Buy Polestar’s Roadster—Minus the Drone

You Can Now Buy Polestar’s Roadster—Minus the Drone

Earlier this year, Polestar revealed something of a flight of fancy by taking the covers off an all-electric roadster with a convertible hard-top roof that looked more than a little sporty.

This concept, dubbed the O2 when it debuted in March, was entirely plausible, as it was coming from the sister brand of Volvo that had quickly established reputation for delivering quality EVs. Its accompanying built-in “cinematic drone,” however, which was to deploy from the rear to autonomously record your road warrior skills, was far less plausible.

At the time I said that if Polestar ever made this drone I’d eat my driving gloves. Well, there’s good and bad news. The good news is that the company has announced it will be putting the O2 into production under the name Polestar 6. The bad news is, as suspected, the drone will remain firmly grounded on the drawing board. Which also means that, thankfully, my driving gloves live to ride another day.

The Polestar 6 is slated to be delivered in 2026. When it arrives it will be the company’s fourth new car in five years. Next year will see the arrival of the coupe SUV Polestar 4, and the electric four-door GT Polestar 5 will follow in 2024.

Polestar 6 parked in bright concrete garage

Photograph: Polestar

But seeing that Polestar is, as of today, taking reservations for the 6—you’ll have to lay down no less than $25,000 to get on the list, then expect to pay the balance of around $200,000 for the final car—some vital specifications have mercifully been given. It will feature the high-performance, 800-volt electric architecture already confirmed for Polestar 5, bringing it on par with Hyundai and Kia’s existing fast-charging EV platform. 

As a roadster you would rightly expect the 6 to be quick, and Polestar is claiming up to 650 kW (equivalent to 884 horsepower) and 900 newton meters of torque from a dual-motor powertrain, as well as a targeted 0 to 62 mph sprint time of 3.2 seconds, then on to a top speed of 155 mph. This is short of Tesla’s endlessly delayed Roadster, with claimed specs of 0 to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds and 255-mph top speed, but then again you’ll get Polestar-Volvo build quality and a sporting chance of the car actually appearing on its forecast delivery date.