Apple iPhone Duo Max. That’s it. That’s the headline
Now that Apple has stepped into the foldable arena (rather tentatively, we might add), the question is: what’s next? Heck, Apple hasn’t even launched the Duo, and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman already has some ideas. One of those is a larger iPhone Duo Max, ideally dwarfing the 7.6in display the Duo currently rocks. That’s not surprising. It’d be like stepping foot into a McDonald’s and being shocked to see the Bigger Mac on the menu.
The ‘Duo’ name itself lends itself to Apple’s spin-off dreams. While a Duo Max seems likely, it’d be unlike Apple to quit growing the family there. We doubt it’ll be long before we see a Duo ‘SE’ or ‘Mini’. Gurman even remarks on the original rumoured ‘Ultra’ moniker, whose lack of a suffix doesn’t leave much room for future editions.
First, though, Apple has to gauge the response to the iPhone Duo. It’s not cheap — starting at $2,000 (∼R32,000) — overseas, with local pricing still under wraps. Competitors have propped up the foldable market for years, though Gurman reckons Apple has the power to send it rocketing to new heights. We’ll see about that.
“By early next year, I expect the iPhone Duo to become the predominant foldable phone on the market. Demand will be so intense that people will scalp the device for sale overseas, eBay prices will soar, and supply shortages will reach extreme levels — potentially even eclipsing the Mac shortages Apple has faced this year because of the AI boom,” wrote Gurman in his Power On newsletter.
Meta’s leaked Project Phoenix rises from the (tr)ashes
Meta hasn’t given up on the whole headset thing. The next big thing from the company formerly known as Facebook is ‘Project Phoenix’ (or Stanley or Loma), which has now leaked. The headset is set to occupy a similar realm to that of the Meta Quest Pro, but without as much tech bogging down your face. That’s always a win.
Last month, Meta released the HorizonOS Prescription Lens app, which was served to devices as a ZIP file, rather than a regular APK. At the time, there wasn’t much to be gleaned from the app, other than the fact that Project Phoenix was in the works. Now, Meta has updated the app, and it contains clear images of the new slim headset.
It contains a short visual showing how one would attach their prescription lenses to the device. It’s a pretty clear look at the headset, which features a glasses-like design and looks oh-so slim. Soft-looking nose pads adorn the interior, and sensors cover the glasses. A separate image shows the device scanning a QR code and tells us that the Phoenix (or whatever it ends up being called officially) connects via a cable running out of the glasses’ arm.
How competent Meta’s next-gen AR efforts will be, we can’t be sure. Nor when it’ll release ’em, though if it’s already at the Prescription app part of the process, a release might be closer than initially expected.
Trek star Inbound+
You may not have heard about Trek’s electric bikes, but they’ve certainly heard of South Africa. The company’s newest isn’t here yet, but the Inbound+’s motor and specs could make it attractive for two-wheeled commuters in SA. It’s not just the convenient platform for strapping your portable vinyl turntable and beard-grooming kit.
There’s an excellent Bosch Hub Line motor running the whole thing. The 250W unit gives cyclists a claimed range of 85km on a charge, if you opt for the (more expensive) 600Wh battery unit. The smaller caps out at around 50km before returning to a plug point. The Trek Inbound+ is limited to just 25km/h, but if your legs are tired, that’s enough. Right?
The front hub is supplied via the Shimano Tourney HB-QC300, while Bontrager handles the rims, skewer, pedals, and the tyres, in the shape of the Bontrager E6 Hard-Case Lite. Shimano’s brake discs help with getting you back to sensible speeds. The catch? Availability. The Trek Inbound+ is priced at R40,000 if you’re buying from Europe. Should it ever launch here, pricing for the Trek Rail+ and Checkpoint+ suggests that the Inbound+ will be similarly priced.
Wake up bro, a new Warcraft 3 expansion just dropped
Is it just us, or does this feel like the year of old video game surprises? It’s been 23 years since Warcraft 3 had its last expansion. That changed recently, when Blizzard shadow-dropped Warcraft 3: Forsaken Kingdom, the new two-part campaign for Warcraft 3: Reforged.
The first of the two parts will serve as a prologue for Arthas, the main baddy from the Wrath of the Lich King expansion of World of Warcraft. The main part of the expansion will focus on the Undercity, the Forsaken Kingdom’s capital, where Grand Apothecary Putress and Sylvanas like hanging out.
The new expansion, which is already available on Battle.net for €30 (or about R565), is joined by a free 3.0 update to Warcraft 3: Reforged. The remastered Reforged has had a tough time since it launched in 2020. So a free update and a new surprise expansion could be just what it needs (provided they’re any good).
