Caviar dresses up the Apple Watch 7 in bronze, gold and titanium
Apple hasn’t released a gold-plated smartwatch since the original Apple Watch Edition, switching over to ceramic and titanium instead. If you miss the decadent look but want a modern watch, Caviar has you covered.
It released a series based on the Apple Watch 7, that roughly fall into two main versions. The first features embossed ornamentation inspired by the work of Gustave Young, a famous 19th century engraver of American firearms. This is the Moon series.
It starts at $3,260 with the Night Moon version, covered in white bronze and comes with a black crocodile leather strap. This one is limited to 99 copies. The Gold Moon is the most expensive version, $25,070, and is limited to 8 copies. It is covered in 18K gold and has a brown crocodile leather strap.
Next up are the two Rivets watches, which have a more industrial look. Both use aviation-grade titanium with black PVD coating. Then there are the Line and Flame versions, which are also made out of titanium, but have laser-engraved decorative patterns. These watches are in the mid $3,000 price range.
Check out Caviar’s site for more details on the blinged-out Apple Watch 7 series.
From Gsmarena
Upcoming Moto G42 runs Geekbench powered by the Snapdragon 680 SoC
Motorola’s ever-expanding mid-range G line is bound to do some even more expanding in the next few weeks or so. And one of the models coming up is the Moto G42, already leaked in neat-looking press renders earlier this month. The phone was also certified by a bunch of regulatory bodies, and now we get an additional piece to its puzzle.
That’s because a prototype Moto G42 ran Geekbench 5, and as usual this means its results are now available for the whole world to see in the benchmark’s online database. Not just that, though, but also a couple of important specs.
Namely, thanks to the benchmark run we now know that the chipset powering the device is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 680. The prototype in question had 4GB of RAM, but it stands to reason that there may be 6GB versions too. As for results: the G42 managed a 376 single-core score and a 1,538 multi-core score. Not that you should necessarily pay any attention to those – this is after all a prototype we’re talking about.
The Moto G42 should obviously be the successor to the G41 announced last November but only actually launched this January – Motorola’s launch time frames are getting quite weird indeed. Anyway, like that model, the G42 is expected to sport an AMOLED screen and it will run Android 12 from day one.
From Gsmarena
Google Pixel 7 prototypes listed on eBay and Facebook Marketplace
Last night, a Google Pixel 7 prototype was listed to eBay and Facebook marketplace. Both listings were posted by the same individual. Here’s a screenshot of the eBay listing (via Android Police) which showed the seller’s location in McKinney, Texas.
The eBay listing was posted to Reddit via r/Android where it gathered much attention. However, the Pixel 7 prototype was listed to Facebook Marketplace first, as noted by This is Tech Today’s Brandon Lee via Twitter. The Marketplace listing was titled as a Pixel 6, but the images showed a pre-production Pixel 7 prototype, as seen by the unusual logo and markings on the hardware.
Here’s the latest video from Brandon Lee where he mentions the Facebook Marketplace listing and how the seller’s name and location (Frisco, Texas) were publicly shown on the listing (Screenshot of this listing @ 2:10 in the video). This information is blocked out in the video and the listing is no longer available on Facebook. The story starts at around the 2:02 mark.
It wasn’t clear how the seller obtained the Google Pixel 7 Prototype, and not only the Pixel 7, but upon close inspection of the listed device, it can be seen the images were captured by a Google Pixel 7 Pro prototype via Mishaal Rahman.
As per another Tweet by Brandon, it is possible the seller had multiple Pixel 7 prototype units.
How the seller obtained these devices isn’t known, and the listing on eBay was removed by the seller “because there was an error in the listing” hours after going viral on Reddit and after being picked up by tech news outlets.
Here are the images that were on the now-removed eBay listing. Both the Pixel 7 pictured, and the Pixel 7 Pro taking the pictures, corroborate with the hardware the Google showed us earlier this month when it previewed the new smartphone hardware. Here’s an archived version of the eBay listing as provided by Mishaal Rahman on Twitter.
The Google Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are not expected to arrive to the market until later this year, presumably in October as history tells us.
From Gsmarena
iQOO shakes up the affordable flagship segment with the new iQOO Neo 6
After launching the iQOO Z6 and Z6 Pro in India late last month, Vivo’s sub-brand iQOO has now launched a new affordable flagship in the region — the iQOO Neo 6. The latest device in iQOO’s steadily growing portfolio features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 870 SoC, a 120Hz Samsung E4 AMOLED display, an impressive triple camera setup, and 80W wired fast charging support. If you’re on the lookout for an affordable flagship, read on to learn more about the new iQOO Neo 6.After launching the iQOO Z6 and Z6 Pro in India late last month, Vivo’s sub-brand iQOO has now launched a new affordable flagship in the region — the iQOO Neo 6. The latest device in iQOO’s steadily growing portfolio features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 870 SoC, a 120Hz Samsung E4 AMOLED display, an impressive triple camera setup, and 80W wired fast charging support. If you’re on the lookout for an affordable flagship, read on to learn more about the new iQOO Neo 6.
From XDA
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 has been leaked in full
We’ve been hearing drizzles of information about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 for months, but now there’s been a tidal wave, as a complete specs list for the phone has just leaked.
This comes from @UniverseIce – a leaker with a good track record – who claims that these specs are 100% accurate, so they clearly have confidence in them.
According to this source then, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a 7.6-inch foldable AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. They list the resolution as QXGA+, which in practice means it’s likely similar or identical to the 1768 x 2208 resolution of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3.
The cover display meanwhile is apparently a 6.2-inch HD+ AMOLED one with a 120Hz refresh rate, and the phone is also said to have a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, 12GB of RAM, a choice of 256GB or 512GB of storage, a 4,400mAh battery with 25W charging, and Android 12, overlaid with Samsung’s One UI 4.1.1.
Finally, they claim the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a triple-lens rear camera consisting of a 50MP wide one, a 12MP ultrawide one, and a 10MP telephoto one with 3x optical zoom, while the outer selfie camera is a 10MP one, and the inner one is a 4MP under-display snapper.
While we’d take all of these specs with a pinch of salt, the reputable nature of the source coupled with their confidence is promising. Plus, while there’s some new information here we’ve heard a lot of this before, so it’s likely that at least much of it is accurate.
From Techradar
Apple AR/VR headset might not launch at WWDC 2022 – but it should show up
Despite the rumors, one expert analyst still believes that the long-awaited Apple AR/VR headset won’t be released until 2023.
With Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC 2022) scheduled for next week (June 6 to June 10), many fans of the company’s tech are eager to see the announcements it’ll make. In particular, people are expecting we’ll finally see the long-rumored Apple AR/VR headset – but Ming-Chi Kuo has indicated we shouldn’t get our hopes up (via MacRumors).
Kuo tweeted that it’ll take “some time before Apple AR/MR headset enters mass production.” He goes on to speculate that if Apple announces the headset at WWDC 2022 its competitors will find a way to create “copycat projects” that’ll hit shelves before Apple’s launch in 2023.
While we have to take all rumors and predictions with a pinch of salt, Kuo has a strong track record of predicting Apple’s release schedule by following production trends at its suppliers. Kuo is also backed up by previous rumors that the Apple AR/VR headset won’t launch until 2023 – though not everyone is in complete agreement.
A WWDC 2022 announcement for the Apple headset seems possible because of two recent reports. The first is that the headset was supposedly shown off to Apple’s highest executives at a meeting. While this isn’t a guarantee, it strongly suggests that the headset is nearing the end of its development and is in a state that can be demoed. Such a meeting could be Apple’s leadership deciding if it’s ready for WWDC this year or not.
Additionally, the term “realityOS” was recently trademarked by a company called Realityo Systems LLC. This business has no online presence and these are its only two trademarks; combine this with the rumors that realityOS is Apple’s name for its headset’s operating system and that Apple has a habit of using similar shell companies to trademark names ahead of announcements, and it seems like some kind of AR/VR reveal is imminent.
From Techradar
Sony IMX800 detailed: 1/1.49″ sensor with 54MP resolution
There were many leaks about a sensor called “Sony IMX800”, which was supposed to be huge and was going to be featured in multiple flagships. There may have been a case of mistaken identity, so let’s set the record straight.
The actual Sony IMX800 made its debut with the Honor 70 series. The resolution is an unusual 54MP or more specifically 8,768 x 6,144px. With support for 4-to-1 pixel binning, most phones using this sensor will likely default to 13.5MP or 12MP resolution.
As for size, the sensor has a 1/1.49” optical format. Not as huge as some made out to be, but still fairly large even among flagship offerings – e.g. the Honor Magic4 Pro has a 1/1.56” sensor, as do the Galaxy S22 and S22+, Oppo Find X5 Pro and many others.
Crucially, they have the same pixel size of 1.0µm, which goes up to 2.0µm with binning enabled. This is an important metric, especially at a time when many sensors have dipped below the 1.0µm mark (especially ones with higher resolutions).
The Honor 70 series will be our first encounter with the IMX800, but the sensor will likely be featured in other camera-oriented phones as well. Which ones is yet to be revealed.
From Gsmarena
PSVR 2 release may not launch until 2023
We don’t know the PSVR 2 release date just yet, but according to one analyst, mass production is expected to start soon with an early 2023 release planned.
Discussing PSVR 2 in a Twitter thread, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that Sony’s new VR headset will enter production soon. He claimed, “My latest supply chain check suggests that the assembler and several component providers of PSVR 2 will start mass production with about 1.5M units shipments in [the second half of] 2022.”
Continuing on, Kuo states that Sony “may launch it in [Q1] 2023, depending on the development schedule of PSVR 2 game titles.” Beyond this, Kuo otherwise discusses the upcoming launch titles, hardware upgrades, and Sony’s suppliers. You can find the full thread below.
From Techradar
Surface Laptop Go 2 leaks in retailer listing with an 11th-gen Core i5
Microsoft could be set to introduce the Surface Laptop Go 2 very soon, according to a leaked retailer listing from Korea, which has seemingly been deleted, but not before it was spotted by The Verge. The budget-oriented laptop was first reported on back in April, and the listing suggests a launch could happen as soon as June 2nd, suggesting an announcement in the next couple of days.
The listing lines up with what we heard previously: The Surface Laptop Go 2 will be powered by an Intel Core i5-1135G7, which is quite a big upgrade from the previous generation. In addition to a significantly faster CPU, this model also comes with Intel Iris Xe graphics. The listing also suggests it will go up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage just like its predecessor.
Another upgrade mentioned in the listing is “improved HD camera performance”. The original Surface Laptop Go came with a 720p webcam, but we don’t yet know the specifics of the new one. As expected, there’s no sign of Windows Hello facial recognition support, either.
Most of the other specs are likely to stay the same. It’ll have a 12.4-inch display with the signature 3:2 aspect ratio that all Surface devices have, likely with the same 1536 x 1024 resolution. The laptop will also feature USB-A, USB-C, and Surface Connect ports, plus a headphone jack. There’s also a fingerprint reader on select models, making this one of the very few Surface devices to not support Windows Hello in its base model – again, just like its predecessor.
From XDA
Counterpoint: Smartwatch market grows in Q1, Apple maintains top spot
The smartwatch market between January and March 2022 saw a 13% increase in shipments, according to Counterpoint Research. The analysis of the wearable market across the globe revealed Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi all recorded an increase on yearly basis, despite the quarterly 24% decline – the holiday quarter is obviously hard to match.
Associate Director Sujeong Lim stated that brand loyalty is the main reason for the success factor of Apple, which increased its overall share, as well as its YoY shipments by 14%.
Weaker international positions are the reason why Huawei, despite being third, kept flat shipments. Users in major markets are wary about the lack of GMS in mobile devices and as such are less likely to switch to a Huawei wearable as well. However, the Chinese company boosted its performance in the domestic market.
Most key regions grew in terms of total shipments, with only Europe remaining flat, the report stated. The market was affected by the war in Ukraine and the resulting logistical constraints. The impact is expected to become even more serious in Q2.
Other key takes from the report are Garmin was the premium segment leader for wearables over $500. Another US maker Fitbit saw a massive decline because it hasn’t launched any new products following its acquisition from Google, and the switch to Wear OS is yet to happen.
From Gsmarena
