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Posts tagged "display"

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The display specs for Samsung’s first XR headset may have just leaked
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We're expecting a Samsung XR/VR headset in the near future – that's extended reality and/or virtual reality – and a new leak gives us a better idea of the display specs the hardware device might bring along with it.

According to Daily Korea (via SamMobile), the headset will use a micro-OLED display supplied by Sony, with a size of 1.3 inches, a resolution of 3,840 x 3,552 pixels, a refresh rate of 90 frames per second, and a maximum brightness of 1,000 nits.

For comparison, the Meta Quest 3 headset launched last year offers a resolution of 2,064 x 2,208 pixels per eye, an experimental 120Hz refresh rate mode, and a 90Hz standard refresh rate mode. The size of the displays isn't specified, but they use LCD technology, and you can read our thoughts on it in our Meta Quest 3 review.

As for the Apple Vision Pro, inside that particular device we've got micro-OLED tech. Apple doesn't specify a resolution, but does say there are 23 million pixels across both displays, and the refresh rate goes up to 100Hz. As our Apple Vision Pro review will tell you, it offers rather impressive visual performance.

Coming soon?

Samsung announced it was working on an XR headset all the way back at the start of 2023, with Google and Qualcomm helping out. It's yet to see the light of day though – there have been rumors that the launch of the Vision Pro gave Samsung executives enough food for thought that they decided to take more time over their own device.

Extended reality or XR, if you're unfamiliar, is the catch-all term for virtual reality (entirely enclosed virtual worlds), augmented reality (digital elements laid on top of the real world), and mixed reality (digital elements and the real world interacting in more realistic ways, like an upgraded augmented reality).

So far we've seen a battery leak, got confirmation that the Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2 chipset will power the device, and… that's been about it for specs and features. There've been more leaks regarding a launch, which could happen in the second half of the year, 

Specifically, that might mean July. Samsung held an Unpacked launch event in July 2023, and is expected to do the same this year, giving full unveilings to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, the Galaxy Z Flip 6, the Galaxy Watch 7, the Galaxy Ring, and probably more besides.

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Apple Vision Pro patent reveals some less-creepy uses for its external display
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The Apple Vision Pro headset is potentially just weeks from launching, if the latest rumors are to be believed, but a few new details about the external display may have been leaked via an Apple patent. 

According to the document (first reported on by Patently Apple) the headset’s external display won’t just be able to enable EyeSight – which shows onlookers the wearer's eyes in a kinda creepy way – but will also be able to display a much wider array of images.

A person wearing an Apple Vision Pro, you can see their eyes on the external display

How EyeSight looks on the Apple Vision Pro (Image credit: Apple)

So far Apple has only shown the Vision Pro’s external screen displaying two things: the wearer’s eyes when they’re in mixed reality, and a colorful pattern when they’re fully immersed in virtual reality. But using the display to show a wider mix of icons makes a lot of sense, and would be useful.

A flashing “do not disturb” sign, for example, could alert people around you that you’re in an important virtual meeting or trying to focus on something, while displaying a virtual scene on the external display would give people around you an idea of what you’re looking at. 

The patent also reveals alternatives to Apple’s realistic EyeSight feature. Rather than showing a photorealistic image, the wearer's eyes could be shown as digital dots and lines, in the style of an expressive robot – still a little creepy-looking, but maybe not so weird in practice.

Various Apple Vision Pro headsets showing different ways the external display could be used

Examples from Apple’s patent showing how the external display could be used (Image credit: Apple)

Other examples in the patent document, like the clock or current weather conditions, aren’t super-helpful while you’re wearing the headset but could be handy when you aren’t. While the Vision Pro is charging on your desk the external display could be set to show you useful info like what’s on your calendar for the day, or simply what charge the headset is at.

As with all tech patents, there’s no guarantee that we’ll ever see these features in action, and even if they are on their way to the Vision Pro, they might not be ready at launch or for a while after. Until the headset is in people’s hands we won’t know what it is or isn’t capable of.

However, if Apple is indeed close to launching the headset, it shouldn't be too long before all of our Vision Pro questions are finally answered.

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Apple forgot about its own Studio Display in latest iOS update
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It seems that Apple forgot about the A13 Bionic processor that powers its own Studio Display, as a recent firmware update caused the monitor to malfunction.

On April 8, Apple stopped signing iOS update 15.4 after it pushed down update 15.4.1 on March 30. Normally when an update stops signing, it’s not available anymore and can no longer be installed. But since Studio Display uses 15.4 and cannot install 15.4.1, this meant that over the weekend users were out of luck.

According to MacWorld, anyone with issues using the monitor was met with a message stating: “Apple Studio Display firmware update could not be completed. Try again in an hour. If the problem persists, contact an authorized Apple service provider.”

As of April 10, Apple has fixed the issue and users have reported that the firmware update was installed without a hitch. However, the tech giant will most likely need to overhaul the signing and un-signing of iOS updates since multiple products require various versions to operate.

This isn’t the first time the Apple Studio Display needed a fix. Soon after its launch, the monitor received an update in order to fix the low quality of its webcam, as reported by multiple outlets such as TechCrunch and The Wall Street Journal.

Analysis: the perils of an ecosystem

When you have a whole lot of products that are supposed to work with each other seamlessly, but they aren't running on the same system, problems are bound to pop up.

While Apple is known for a very tight product catalog that keeps the number of models currently being sold to a fairly lean lineup, Apple has been expanding its offerings in recent years.

Whether it's the Apple HomePod, the recent Apple AirPods 3, or any number of its MacBook and Mac products, Apple is having to juggle a lot more discrete systems that are supposed to work without the user even really thinking about it. It's kind of Apple's thing, so while it's kind of funny to think that Apple accidentally nerfed its own high-end workstation monitor by mistake, it's also symptomatic of a growing number of interlocking products where it becomes harder to predict what any single change to the system will have.

While Apple typically runs a tight ship, we wouldn't be surprised if we saw more of this kind of thing in the future. 

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Your Macbook Pro or Display XDR can finally shine brighter with new macOS app
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Vivid is available for Apple's Macs from today (April 4), where it can double the brightness of your Pro Display XDR or MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021), with no loss in quality of the image.

Apple has been showcasing how bright these products can go, but this level of brightness has only been reserved for certain use cases such as editing videos and watching HDR movies. The maximum brightness has been 500 nits for both the MacBook Pro and Pro Display XDR for its users, with no override on the user's part to enable this higher brightness for other methods.

This is where Vivid comes in. Available to download as a free trial, alongside a one-off fee of $ 15 / £15 / AU$ 17 to remove the split-screen that shows the default brightness, and Vivid's settings.

On the day of its launch, TechRadar spoke to its two developers, Jordi Bruin and Ben Harraway, about how Vivid came to be, and whether there's any risk to leaving the brightness on for longer than needed.

We speak to Vivid's developers

Sonic 3 A.I.R on Vivid

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Having used Vivid before its launch, we were taken aback as to how much of a difference the full brightness made, especially with games. Playing Streets of Rage 4 on macOS through Steam, or Metal Gear Solid 5 through Parallels, really showed off what the display of the MacBook Pro 14-inch is capable of.

We asked Bruin and Halloway what prompted them to create Vivid in the first place. “Back in October of last year I received my new MacBook Pro and was very surprised when I saw the brightness of HDR videos. It made it seem like the rest of my screen was becoming dimmer when in fact the video was just getting brighter.” Bruin explains.

“I like to work from different places throughout the day and often end up outside on a terrace or in a park. I tried watching some HDR videos outside and they were much more visible than the other content on the screen. After spending a few weeks working on different approaches I gave up for a few months until reaching out to Ben, who found a solution that worked great!”

Using the brightness keys on our MacBook Pro 14-inch, once you reach the maximum setting, a further option appears thanks to Vivid, where you can go even brighter, taking advantage of the display.

While there's a small hit on the battery life, it's a hit worth taking once you see how much everything pops with the extra brightness.

However, we asked Bruin and Halloway whether there was any danger to the display, in way of screen burn. “Vivid doesn’t use any hacks or low-level system calls to achieve the higher brightness. We believe that makes it really safe to use,” Halloway explains.

“We don’t make your display do anything it’s not supposed to. Vivid just enables the extra brightness usually reserved for HDR content, so it’s exactly the same as watching an HDR video.” Bruin clarifies. 

“Apple claims the following: “Pro Display XDR can sustain 1000 nits of brightness across the full screen. This means that a pro can edit an HDR photograph or video with the entire frame at 1000 nits of brightness, indefinitely.”

The official word from Apple on this topic is here. macOS has built-in protections to dim the screen if it would get too hot as well. But to be clear, we are not changing anything on the display level, we are overlaying an HDR window which triggers the extended brightness mode.”

DOOM on Vivid

(Image credit: TechRadar)

While Vivid is a simple app, it gets the job done, and the difference is night and day, especially when you're using it at night. Even though we're at the launch of the app, we wondered if there were already any features in the planning for future versions.

“We wanted to keep the first version tightly integrated with the system and easy to use, so that we could get feedback from users on what they would want to see. We have a version that includes Shortcuts and Widgets, but right now we’re not sure if those features would really add something that our customers would be looking for.” Bruin explains. 

“We’ve designed Vivid in a way that you almost forget that it’s an extra app since you just use your normal brightness keys to activate it. Accessibility is important for both of us, which is why we’re using as many native components as possible. After launch, we will be searching for feedback on this front to fix any issues we might have overlooked.”

So far, Vivid is something that can make you look at your MacBook Pro or Display XDR in a different way, especially as you watch videos or play games. As the displays improve and the brightness gets brighter, it looks as though this app will be useful to many Mac users for the next few years at least.

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Your Macbook Pro or Display XDR can finally shine brighter with new macOS app
  • No Comments

Vivid is available for Apple's Macs from today (April 4), where it can double the brightness of your Pro Display XDR or MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021), with no loss in quality of the image.

Apple has been showcasing how bright these products can go, but this level of brightness has only been reserved for certain use cases such as editing videos and watching HDR movies. The maximum brightness has been 500 nits for both the MacBook Pro and Pro Display XDR for its users, with no override on the user's part to enable this higher brightness for other methods.

This is where Vivid comes in. Available to download as a free trial, alongside a one-off fee of $ 15 / £15 / AU$ 17 to remove the split-screen that shows the default brightness, and Vivid's settings.

On the day of its launch, TechRadar spoke to its two developers, Jordi Bruin and Ben Harraway, about how Vivid came to be, and whether there's any risk to leaving the brightness on for longer than needed.

We speak to Vivid's developers

Sonic 3 A.I.R on Vivid

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Having used Vivid before its launch, we were taken aback as to how much of a difference the full brightness made, especially with games. Playing Streets of Rage 4 on macOS through Steam, or Metal Gear Solid 5 through Parallels, really showed off what the display of the MacBook Pro 14-inch is capable of.

We asked Bruin and Halloway what prompted them to create Vivid in the first place. “Back in October of last year I received my new MacBook Pro and was very surprised when I saw the brightness of HDR videos. It made it seem like the rest of my screen was becoming dimmer when in fact the video was just getting brighter.” Bruin explains.

“I like to work from different places throughout the day and often end up outside on a terrace or in a park. I tried watching some HDR videos outside and they were much more visible than the other content on the screen. After spending a few weeks working on different approaches I gave up for a few months until reaching out to Ben, who found a solution that worked great!”

Using the brightness keys on our MacBook Pro 14-inch, once you reach the maximum setting, a further option appears thanks to Vivid, where you can go even brighter, taking advantage of the display.

While there's a small hit on the battery life, it's a hit worth taking once you see how much everything pops with the extra brightness.

However, we asked Bruin and Halloway whether there was any danger to the display, in way of screen burn. “Vivid doesn’t use any hacks or low-level system calls to achieve the higher brightness. We believe that makes it really safe to use,” Halloway explains.

“We don’t make your display do anything it’s not supposed to. Vivid just enables the extra brightness usually reserved for HDR content, so it’s exactly the same as watching an HDR video.” Bruin clarifies. 

“Apple claims the following: “Pro Display XDR can sustain 1000 nits of brightness across the full screen. This means that a pro can edit an HDR photograph or video with the entire frame at 1000 nits of brightness, indefinitely.”

The official word from Apple on this topic is here. macOS has built-in protections to dim the screen if it would get too hot as well. But to be clear, we are not changing anything on the display level, we are overlaying an HDR window which triggers the extended brightness mode.”

DOOM on Vivid

(Image credit: TechRadar)

While Vivid is a simple app, it gets the job done, and the difference is night and day, especially when you're using it at night. Even though we're at the launch of the app, we wondered if there were already any features in the planning for future versions.

“We wanted to keep the first version tightly integrated with the system and easy to use, so that we could get feedback from users on what they would want to see. We have a version that includes Shortcuts and Widgets, but right now we’re not sure if those features would really add something that our customers would be looking for.” Bruin explains. 

“We’ve designed Vivid in a way that you almost forget that it’s an extra app since you just use your normal brightness keys to activate it. Accessibility is important for both of us, which is why we’re using as many native components as possible. After launch, we will be searching for feedback on this front to fix any issues we might have overlooked.”

So far, Vivid is something that can make you look at your MacBook Pro or Display XDR in a different way, especially as you watch videos or play games. As the displays improve and the brightness gets brighter, it looks as though this app will be useful to many Mac users for the next few years at least.

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The Apple Studio Display has a neat feature for old Macs
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The Apple Studio Display's built-in A13 Bionic chip allows older Mac computers and MacBook laptops to use the 'Hey Siri' voice command, even if they don't support the feature. 

As reported by MacRumors, the 27-inch display allows the Siri voice command to run on several devices that predate its introduction to the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air back in 2018, though this doesn't extend to the entire back catalog of Mac computers and laptops.

Although it was released alongside the Mac Studio desktop computer, the Studio Display can also be used with the following compatible Mac products on macOS Monterey 12.3 or later:

  • Mac Studio
  • 14-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2021
  • 16-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2019 or later
  • 13-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2016 or later
  • 15-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2016 or later
  • MacBook Air introduced in 2018 or later
  • iMac introduced in 2017 or later
  • iMac Pro
  • Mac mini introduced in 2018 or later
  • Mac Pro introduced in 2019

As you can see from the list, this means that devices released as far back as 2016 will now be able to use the voice-controlled Apple AI assistant. And, as the Studio Display  runs on iOS 15.4, it's likely that we'll see additional features included in the future.

There's nothing confirmed just yet and given the Studio Display has just been released it's unlikely we will see any big features for some time – however, there's always a chance that Apple will surprise us at WWDC 2022.

Analysis: Is your Studio Display listening to your conversations?

While voice-controlled AI assistants like Siri can be very useful, there will be some users with understandable security concerns around being listened to in the home.

Thing is, Siri doesn't really listen to you 24/7, at least not in any way that matters. The trigger phrase 'hey Siri' is required for the AI voice assistant to communicate back and start recording, so although Siri is listening out for its trigger phrase, it doesn’t remember anything you say before it’s activated by its voice command.

Still, AI voice assistants and smart speakers have plenty of advantages, and Siri is no different. You can quickly translate different languages, set alarms or timers, and a host of other tasks completely hands-free, which makes them a useful accessibility feature within our homes and offices.

It's likely you'll be able to switch this feature off entirely if you won't be using Siri at all (though we no longer have a Studio Display unit to check this for ourselves). On Mac, this is done by heading into System Preferences within the Apple Menu. From here, simply select Siri. and uncheck the checkbox beside “Enable Ask Siri”.

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

The Apple Studio Display has a neat feature for old Macs
  • No Comments

The Apple Studio Display's built-in A13 Bionic chip allows older Mac computers and MacBook laptops to use the 'Hey Siri' voice command, even if they don't support the feature. 

As reported by MacRumors, the 27-inch display allows the Siri voice command to run on several devices that predate its introduction to the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air back in 2018, though this doesn't extend to the entire back catalog of Mac computers and laptops.

Although it was released alongside the Mac Studio desktop computer, the Studio Display can also be used with the following compatible Mac products on macOS Monterey 12.3 or later:

  • Mac Studio
  • 14-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2021
  • 16-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2019 or later
  • 13-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2016 or later
  • 15-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2016 or later
  • MacBook Air introduced in 2018 or later
  • iMac introduced in 2017 or later
  • iMac Pro
  • Mac mini introduced in 2018 or later
  • Mac Pro introduced in 2019

As you can see from the list, this means that devices released as far back as 2016 will now be able to use the voice-controlled Apple AI assistant. And, as the Studio Display  runs on iOS 15.4, it's likely that we'll see additional features included in the future.

There's nothing confirmed just yet and given the Studio Display has just been released it's unlikely we will see any big features for some time – however, there's always a chance that Apple will surprise us at WWDC 2022.

Analysis: Is your Studio Display listening to your conversations?

While voice-controlled AI assistants like Siri can be very useful, there will be some users with understandable security concerns around being listened to in the home.

Thing is, Siri doesn't really listen to you 24/7, at least not in any way that matters. The trigger phrase 'hey Siri' is required for the AI voice assistant to communicate back and start recording, so although Siri is listening out for its trigger phrase, it doesn’t remember anything you say before it’s activated by its voice command.

Still, AI voice assistants and smart speakers have plenty of advantages, and Siri is no different. You can quickly translate different languages, set alarms or timers, and a host of other tasks completely hands-free, which makes them a useful accessibility feature within our homes and offices.

It's likely you'll be able to switch this feature off entirely if you won't be using Siri at all (though we no longer have a Studio Display unit to check this for ourselves). On Mac, this is done by heading into System Preferences within the Apple Menu. From here, simply select Siri. and uncheck the checkbox beside “Enable Ask Siri”.

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Read More

Apple’s Studio Display is found to be running iOS 15.4 – is this the 27-inch iMac?
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It's been discovered that Apple's Studio Display runs on iOS 15.4, making us wonder if the display may see some additional improvements in the future.

According to Daring Fireball, if you go to Applications > Utilities > System Information and find your Studio Display, you'll see the software version as 15.4.

This isn't groundbreaking information, as the display is powered by an A13 chip, the same that powered the iPhone 11 series and iPad (ninth generation). But it's telling that instead of a software driver that's usually present in monitors, it's an operating system that powers Apple's iOS devices.

It makes us wonder whether we already have a 27-inch modular iMac running on Apple Silicon, and what this could mean for the iPad going forward.

Analysis: A display that also rivals Apple TV

The first SoC (System on a Chip) by Apple first debuted with the iPhone 4 back in 2010, called the A4. Since then, we've seen different types of Apple chips on wearables, tablets, Macs, and now displays.

But it's an interesting prospect that we're now seeing another version of iOS loaded onto the Studio Display. A tweet over the weekend also spotted that it has 64GB of storage loaded on.

See more

Even though we already have an iMac with an Apple Silicon chip, it's the first time that we've seen iOS 15.4 appear on a new Apple product that doesn't run iOS, or the Apple TV, where the latest model runs on an older A12 chip.

Software updates for the display could improve its features, especially with its camera which had a polarizing opinion in terms of its image quality.

We're at a point where we're already seeing a 27-inch iMac running on Apple Silicon, but not with macOS. It blurs the line as to what we could see from Apple in the coming years in more shapes and sizes than what the Mac Studio offers.

Instead of a bigger iPad Pro, we could see a monitor solely running iPadOS, tailored to a 27-inch display. An 'iPad Studio' suddenly doesn't seem too outside the realms of possibility.

As there's a good chance we'll see iPadOS 16 at WWDC this year, Apple's yearly developer conference, users have been clamoring for better external display support for the iPad.

It seems as though it's the perfect time for both products to see an improvement in how the iPad is perceived, especially for pros. But while I'm happy with my MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021), the potential of iPadOS is there, it just needs a push. And with the Studio Display running on iOS 15.4, it seems as though worlds are about to collide.

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More

Apple’s Studio Display is found to be running iOS 15.4 – is this the 27-inch iMac?
  • No Comments

It's been discovered that Apple's Studio Display runs on iOS 15.4, making us wonder if the display may see some additional improvements in the future.

According to Daring Fireball, if you go to Applications > Utilities > System Information and find your Studio Display, you'll see the software version as 15.4.

This isn't groundbreaking information, as the display is powered by an A13 chip, the same that powered the iPhone 11 series and iPad (ninth generation). But it's telling that instead of a software driver that's usually present in monitors, it's an operating system that powers Apple's iOS devices.

It makes us wonder whether we already have a 27-inch modular iMac running on Apple Silicon, and what this could mean for the iPad going forward.

Analysis: A display that also rivals Apple TV

The first SoC (System on a Chip) by Apple first debuted with the iPhone 4 back in 2010, called the A4. Since then, we've seen different types of Apple chips on wearables, tablets, Macs, and now displays.

But it's an interesting prospect that we're now seeing another version of iOS loaded onto the Studio Display. A tweet over the weekend also spotted that it has 64GB of storage loaded on.

See more

Even though we already have an iMac with an Apple Silicon chip, it's the first time that we've seen iOS 15.4 appear on a new Apple product that doesn't run iOS, or the Apple TV, where the latest model runs on an older A12 chip.

Software updates for the display could improve its features, especially with its camera which had a polarizing opinion in terms of its image quality.

We're at a point where we're already seeing a 27-inch iMac running on Apple Silicon, but not with macOS. It blurs the line as to what we could see from Apple in the coming years in more shapes and sizes than what the Mac Studio offers.

Instead of a bigger iPad Pro, we could see a monitor solely running iPadOS, tailored to a 27-inch display. An 'iPad Studio' suddenly doesn't seem too outside the realms of possibility.

As there's a good chance we'll see iPadOS 16 at WWDC this year, Apple's yearly developer conference, users have been clamoring for better external display support for the iPad.

It seems as though it's the perfect time for both products to see an improvement in how the iPad is perceived, especially for pros. But while I'm happy with my MacBook Pro 14-inch (2021), the potential of iPadOS is there, it just needs a push. And with the Studio Display running on iOS 15.4, it seems as though worlds are about to collide.

TechRadar – All the latest technology news

Read More