Developers have announced that Apple has released the visionOS 1.0.1 update for the Vision Pro. This minor version update primarily focuses on bug fixes.
It’s understood that the Vision Pro ships with visionOS 1.0 pre-installed, allowing users to update to version 1.0.1 upon receiving their device.
Official information reveals that visionOS is Apple’s first operating system designed specifically for spatial computing, building upon the foundations of macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. At its architectural level, visionOS shares core modules with both macOS and iOS.
This includes iOS and spatial frameworks, a multi-app 3D engine, audio engine, dedicated rendering subsystems, and real-time subsystems; the latter is used to process interactive visual effects on the Apple Vision Pro.
What sets visionOS apart from other AR/VR operating systems is its revolutionary user interface. Users can navigate through apps simply by looking at them, tapping their fingers, or using voice commands.
Apple is expected to release visionOS 2.0 at the WWDC in June, introducing more innovative features.
Undoubtedly, the Apple Vision Pro’s initial sale was a massive success. Within a few hours of pre-sales opening, the estimated delivery time stretched to 5-7 weeks, indicating all available stock was sold out, with weekend sales reaching approximately 160,000 to 180,000 units. However, after that initial surge, the delivery times ceased to extend, suggesting a plateau in demand. It seems that about 200,000 units were enough to satisfy the early adopters’ excitement.
The future trajectory of the Vision Pro will largely depend on these first users’ experiences.
The official announcement for “Death Stranding: Director’s Cut” states it will launch in the Apple App Store on January 30, 2024.
Starting today, pre-orders on the App Store will enjoy up to 50% off, available for just $19.99 (approximately 143 CNY).
The game is playable on iPhone 15 Pro models equipped with the A17 Pro chip and all iPads and Macs with M series processors.
Thanks to the A17 Pro chip’s support, featuring a 6-core CPU, 16-core neural engine unit, and a 6-core GPU with hardware-level ray tracing, playing “Death Stranding: Director’s Cut” on the iPhone 15 Pro series will offer an incredibly realistic gaming experience.
“Death Stranding” is an action game developed by Kojima Productions and released by Sony Interactive Entertainment on November 8, 2019.
The “Director’s Cut” edition of the game adds new story missions, enhanced melee and firearms, companion robots, and numerous other features.
Although “Death Stranding” is considered a AAA title, its core gameplay is akin to a walking simulator. The majority of the game doesn’t require intense gameplay mechanics and focuses heavily on narrative-driven experiences. Launching this game on the iPhone 15 Pro as a technological feat is quite impressive, yet the rationale behind playing such a console game on a small screen remains perplexing. To me, titles like “Dream of Stars” and “Honor of Kings” seem more suited for mobile gameplay.
The primary camera of the iPhone 16 Pro Max will make history with an upgrade to 48 million pixels.
The primary camera has been confirmed to use the custom Sony IMX903 sensor, featuring a 1/1.14″ super-large sensor size, dual transistor technology, supporting 14Bit ADC and DCG.
The periscope telephoto lens remains, resulting in a slightly larger screen curvature.
There’s ongoing debate about whether the iPhone 16 standard version will feature a high-refresh-rate screen. Mid last year, high-refresh-rate panels were tested, but recent prototypes reverted to 60Hz, leaving Apple’s decision in suspense.
The design is reported to remain largely unchanged, featuring the Dynamic Island and the “gas stove” array.
Leaks indicate that the iPhone 16 Pro series will be the first to boast two 48-million-pixel sensors, upgrading the currently 12-million-pixel ultra-wide lens to a 48-million-pixel high-definition camera.
The consensus that Apple’s camera capabilities lag behind those of domestic brands is widely acknowledged. Even if the iPhone 16 aims for a significant upgrade in its camera system, overcoming the gap with leading domestic smartphones remains a tall order. Nonetheless, it’s recognized that Apple still holds a significant edge in video recording. Considering Apple’s strategy prioritizes content creation for VisionPro, enhancing the iPhone’s imaging capabilities becomes increasingly pressing.
Regardless, for loyal iPhone users, these upgrades are incredibly positive news!
The MediaTek Dimensity 9400 chip utilizes TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process, marking MediaTek’s first foray into the 3nm chip sector.
Apple, a major TSMC client, was the first to use the first-generation 3nm process, N3B, for its A17 Pro and M3 series chips.
The second generation, N3E, is anticipated to have broader applications, encompassing the MediaTek Dimensity 9400, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen4, and the A18 series chips, utilizing the N3E process.
N3E, an enhanced version of N3B, promises higher yields and lower costs, albeit with a slight performance trade-off compared to N3B.
Furthermore, the Dimensity 9400 will adopt ARM’s latest CPU and GPU architecture, promising formidable performance.
Traditionally debuting in the latter half of the year, the Dimensity 9400 is poised to be MediaTek’s most powerful smartphone chip in 2024, aptly dubbed “King of Dimensity.”
Yesterday’s introduction of the upcoming 3nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8Gen4 in the latter half of the year outlined a significant differentiation from MediaTek’s approach, which utilizes ARM’s standard architecture, while Qualcomm opts for a proprietary design. Thus, the chip rivalry in the second half of the year could also be seen as a showdown of architectural philosophies. Should Qualcomm’s custom architecture falter, MediaTek could potentially overtake its competitor in a dramatic turn.