In 2023, TCL chose to use mini-LED backlighting only on its higher-end QM8 line. HiSense took a different approach. Both bets paid off, but the higher-end mini-LED sets are threatening legacy competitors.
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Super-bundlers are people who combine wireless phone, home broadband, and content together in a single bundle to save money. This report examines how prevalent super bundling is, what options carriers and cable companies offer, and where the opportunities are going forward.
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Meta is taking the Horizon OS that powers its Quest headsets and opening it up to hardware licensees including Lenovo and ASUS. This could backfire but it pressures Google and provides a broader coalition against Apple’s Vision Pro.
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As usual, CES had product announcements that were exciting, some that were impactful, and lots that happened behind the scenes. This report covers Displays, Computing/AI, and Sustainability.
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Samsung is launching new phones at Galaxy Unpacked next week, but it is using CES for new audio, video, and gaming announcements. Plus security, home automation, AI, and …rolling robot projector pets?
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MediaTek has a commanding share of the processors that go into televisions and streaming media devices, and this has led to innovative features and entirely new product categories, as evidenced by two products I’ve been testing from Amazon and XGIMI.
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Amazon is serious about integrating generative AI into Alexa, even if a direct monetization model isn't clear. It is surrounding that LLM with a slew of new hardware, including a home hub, WiFi 7 router, soundbar, smart glasses, and more.
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In the weeks since Techsponential got heads-on with the Apple Vision Pro , we have been asked numerous questions from journalists, Apple partners and resellers, and Apple competitors. This report provides a comprehensive look at the hardware, software, ecosystem, and implications of Apple’s entry into AR and VR.
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I attended Apple’s WWDC today and got a heads-on demo of Apple's new Apple Vision Pro headset. This report covers first impressions and snap analysis. This is a new platform; Techsponential will have additional reports — especially around competitive response — in the future.
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Verizon is hoping to bring growth back to its consumer wireless business by simplifying its core price plans and adding a build-your-own-bundle element. myPlan is unusually flexible, which is both a benefit and a drawback.
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XGIMI’s latest smart projector belongs to a relatively new category of home entertainment display that combines front projection, portability, and smart TV streaming capabilities over WiFi. As with previous display technology shifts, smart projectors are leading to new companies and brands.
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CES 2023 had no specific, overarching theme, but within each market segment, there were trends and highlights. This report covers Computing, Hybrid Work, Mobile (Phones, Wearables, and Tablets), IoT, AR & VR, and TV
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Sony recently announced PSVR 2 pricing, availability, and its silicon supplier for the headset and controllers. It looks to be an incredibly high-value VR system, but that could get it stuck in the middle.
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In a series of press releases, Apple launched a new iPad, iPad Pro, and Apple TV box; the top configuration of the Apple TV 4K one that can act as a Matter and Thread hub.
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In its annual fall device event, Amazon announced over a dozen new products in under an hour, and some of the most innovative news got buried. Some of the products are iterative, but others pushed Amazon into new markets or extended its AI in new directions.
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[Updated with postmortem] Amazon’s Glow is a generational game console; a new product category that is hard to describe but delightful to experience. The Glow’s sole drawback – a relatively high price due to the amount of technology included – was mitigated during Prime Days.
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There has been a lot written about CES by press and analysts covering the show remotely; Techsponential attended live. Here are thoughts on what the show was like, and key announcements from the event.
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At its annual Snapdragon Summit, Qualcomm announced three new silicon platforms for smartphones, computing, and handheld gaming. Some of the efforts will hit more headwinds than others.
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Last week was a big week for silicon: Qualcomm held its Investor Day in New York City reassuring its investors that it is diversifying, and MediaTek launched an assault on the high end of the smartphone market (among other things) at its Executive Summit in Laguna Beach, CA.
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Late last month, three news items from China caught my eye that reflect how geopolitics are shaping the state of mobile devices today. I also attended an online discussion on deglobalization that provided some context for what’s going on.
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